Construction starts of 20-MW solar array to supply Facebook in Georgia

Construction has been launched on a 20-MW solar array in Georgia, which will supply power to a Facebook data centre in the state, it was announced on Tuesday.

US solar developer Silicon Ranch Corp has chosen PCL Construction Services Inc's solar unit as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the Odom Solar Farm. It has started constructing the solar park, located near the city of Moultrie in Colquitt County, Southwest Georgia.

Silicon Ranch, whose largest shareholder is oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc (AMS:RDSA), is financing the solar farm and will own and operate the facility in the long-term.

Odom Solar Farm is the latest project in a portfolio that will supply Facebook's data centre in Newton County, through utility Walton Electric Membership Corp. The latter has an agreement with Facebook to supply 100% renewable power to the data centre.

So far, the utility and Silicon Ranch have executed six contracts for a total of 435 MW of renewable power capacity to back Facebook's Georgia operations.

The first project in the portfolio, the 102.5-MW Bancroft Station Solar Farm, located in Early County, was commissioned in November 2019.

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