Elliot Green Power has opened the $175 million Susan River Solar Farm, which has the capacity to power nearly 40,000 homes at full generation.
Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders, welcomed the latest addition to Queensland’s renewable generation fleet.
“Susan River Solar Farm is one of the biggest solar farms to come online in Queensland,” he said, “but what’s been most important to the Fraser Coast is that 80 per cent of the construction workforce came from the local area.”
Elliot Green Power sourced several Queensland businesses throughout the construction such as local quarries, concrete suppliers, surveyors, engineering firms, equipment hire businesses and fuel suppliers.
“Renewable projects like Susan River Solar Farm are a win-win. They generate clean energy and they generate jobs and business opportunities for the local economy,” said Mr Saunders.
Assistant Minister for Treasury, Glenn Butcher, represented the Queensland Government at an on-site ceremony near Maryborough on Tuesday after the North Queensland floods saw the Premier and all Ministers called to Brisbane for Cabinet.
Connected to the National Electricity Market, the 176-hectare solar farm is set to generate 180,000MWh of renewable energy per annum from 290,000 ground mounted solar panels.
Energy Minister, Dr Anthony Lynham, said Susan River was the 20th renewable generation project to come online in Queensland over the past two years, with another 13 large-scale projects currently under construction state-wide.
“These 13 large-scale projects will generate more than 1200 megawatts, boost investment by around $2.5 billion and most importantly create more than 1900 jobs during construction,” the Minister said.
One of the projects in the pipeline includes Elliot Green Power’s other Queensland renewable project, the 75 megawatt Childers Solar Farm, which is located approximately 10 kilometres south of Childers.
The Childers Solar Farm also recently completed construction and is now in the early stages of commissioning.