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EnergyAustralia, one of Australia’s leading energy companies, today congratulated First Solar on reaching financial close for the Manildra Solar Farm in New South Wales.
First Solar will leverage its expertise in utility-scale solar development to deliver the 48.5 megawatt project, to produce more than 120,000 megawatt-hours of electricity in the first year of operation.
EnergyAustralia Managing Director Catherine Tanna said customers rightly expect access to reliable, affordable and cleaner supplies of energy.
“The Manildra Solar Farm is a great example of the projects that will underpin the future of energy in Australia and we’re proud to be partnering with First Solar to bring it to market,” Ms Tanna said.
First Solar has entered a 13-year power purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia for the electricity and large-scale generation certificates from the project. The Manildra Solar Farm is also supported by a $9.8 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
First Solar’s Regional Manager of Asia Pacific Jack Curtis said today’s milestone was a testament to the ability and experience of First Solar’s development and delivery team.
He added: “We congratulate ARENA and EnergyAustralia for their commitment to commercially viable projects”.
The Manildra Solar Farm is expected to boost the regional economy through the creation of direct and indirect jobs and support for local businesses.
Once complete, the project will have the capacity to power around 14,000 average homes and displace more than 91,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year – that’s like taking about 24,000 cars off the road.