AGL secures funds from ARENA, NSW for two Australian solar projects

AGL Energy, an Australian integrated renewable energy company, has secured A$231.6m ($210.7m) funds for two large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.

Of the total funds, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide A$166.7m ($151.67m) and the NSW government will offer A$64.9m ($59m).

The funds will be used to set up a 102MW solar plant at Nyngan and a 53MW solar plant at Broken Hill.

The total project cost is said to be around A$450m ($409.4m).

AGL managing director Michael Fraser said that the Australian solar PV industry has witnessed significant growth in a comparatively short period of time.

"The Nyngan and Broken Hill solar plants will be the nation’s largest solar projects with the Nyngan plant also being the largest in the Southern Hemisphere," added Fraser.

"We expect these projects to create approximately 150 construction jobs in Broken Hill and approximately 300 in Nyngan."

First Solar (Australia) has been roped in to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for both projects that will feature advanced thin-film PV modules.

In addition, First Solar will operate and maintain both the projects for AGL for a period of five years from the commencement of commercial operation.

Construction of the Nyngan project is scheduled to begin in January 2014, with completion expected by mid 2015, while the construction of Broken Hill project will start in July 2014, and the completion is scheduled around November 2015.

The two solar projects are estimated to produce nearly 360,000MWh of electricity per annum, which is equivalent to the power requirements of 50,000 average NSW homes.