Infigen Energy plans 4 solar plants

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - Australia's Infigen Energy Limited and leading solar technology producer Suntech Power Holdings Company Limited are developing four solar photovoltaic projects with a combined value of $780 million across rural New South Wales, Australia.

The joint venture company, known as Infigin-Suntech Australia Pty Limited, is based in Infigen Energy's head office. In May, Infigen-Suntech was named as one of four short-listed applicants under the Australian federal government's Solar Flagship Program, which is part of the government's Clean Energy Initiative.

Infigen-Suntech is proposing solar photovoltaic projects in Bungendore, Manildra, Nyngan and Moree. Planning applications for the projects were submitted to the New South Wales Department of Planning in July of this year. With minimal environmental concerns and strong government support, it is expected that approvals will be granted with few conditions. Each project is located in the vicinity of an existing 132- or 330-kilovolt grid-connected substation. The contract for construction has been awarded to Tenix Group Pty Limited. The projects will utilize Suntech's Pluto crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panels.

The most vital of these projects is the Bungendore Capital Solar Farm, which will be adjacent to Infigen Energy's existing Capital Windfarm. The solar farm will share the wind farm's existing substation. With a total investment value TIV of $150 million and an expected output of 50 megawatts MW, the project will also include the construction of a research infrastructure facility.

The Manildra Solar Farm has been identified as the next most vital project. This project has an estimated TIV of $150 million and an expected output of 50 MW. The Manildra project will be located in two areas: Yarran and Ainsdale.

The largest of the developments, the 100-MW Nyngan Solar Farm, has a TIV of $300 million and will have more than 300,000 photovoltaic panels.

The $180 million, 60-MW solar farm planned for Moree will take a back seat to these more vital projects, but it is still being developed.

Each solar farm will have a construction period of 12 months. While it has been confirmed that construction of the Capital Solar Farm will begin in March 2012, the timelines for the remaining projects will be contingent upon the conditions attached to the federal funding from the Solar Flagship Program. If the electricity generated by these projects is considered vital, all except the Moree Solar Farm may be developed simultaneously. If this is not the case, the projects will be developed in order of importance, with a slight overlap in construction.

Although a minimal installed capacity exists at present, solar photovoltaic technology has seen an increased interest from the Australian market recently due to the country's high radiation levels and the Australian government's commitment to a renewable energy target.