Maoneng Australia wins 300MW solar power supply contract from AGL

Solar photovoltaic (PV) developer Maoneng Australia has signed a power purchasing agreement (PPA) with electricity retailer AGL Energy for the supply of 300MW of solar power.

As part of the deal, the company will supply up to 800,000 MWh of renewable energy per annum to AGL for 15 years.

According to Maoneng vice-president Qiao Nan Han, the contract is the largest solar energy supply contract ever signed in Australia and underpins 300MW of solar PV power plants in the state of New South Wales (NSW).

The contracts are expected to underpin at least two major solar farms in the Australian State, including the Sunraysia Solar Farm in Balranald.

The Sunraysia solar PV plant is a proposed 250MW solar farm to be located near Balranald in NSW.

Qiao Nan Han said: “The Sunraysia Solar Farm will be the first of several solar farms which Maoneng will work with AGL to develop. We are pleased to have entered into a contract with AGL that provides certainty for renewables development and energy security.”

In order to meet the AGL contract, the remaining capacity will be allocated from the next most suitable project within Maoneng’s development portfolio in NSW.

Qiao Nan Han further noted: “In the absence of bankable PPAs during a period of political uncertainty, we believe that the AGL contract sets us apart from the market.

“The second project underpinned by the AGL contract, the Midgar Solar Project, demonstrates our continuous efforts to transition Australia out of fossil fuel dependency. We remain committed to making a difference in the energy sector, one solar panel at a time.”

Recently, Decmil Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Maoneng Australia to design and build the Sunraysia Solar PV project.