Australia’s Queensland to support up to 120 MW solar

The government of Queensland state, northeastern Australia, said Wednesday it has agreed to help finance as much as 120 MW of photovoltaic (PV) projects, three times more than what it initially promised.

The Solar 120 programme for long-term financial support was announced by Premier and Minister for the Arts, Annastacia Palaszczuk, during a visit to the US' National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, a statement by The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory says.

The state government funding will be made available for projects shortlisted in the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) AUD-100-million (USD 72.5m/EUR 64.7m) large-scale solar competitive round. Among the 22 schemes currently under consideration, 10 are located in Queensland.

“The combination of these two initiatives will lower the cost of large-scale solar and remove obstacles such as financing and commercial viability to support the growth of large-scale solar in Queensland,” Palaszczuk said.

The commitment for long-term financial support was revised from 40 MW to 60 MW of large-scale solar capacity for the first time in August 2015.

Another recent development in Queensland’s renewable energy sector was the 12.5-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 170-MW Mount Emerald wind project in North Queensland offered by local electricity distributor Ergon Energy Corp Ltd.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.724/EUR 0.647)

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