24th June 2020
UPC\AC Renewables Australia is pleased to announce that it has signed the connection agreement with Transgrid for the connection arrangements for the 720 MW (AC) New England Solar Farm to TransGrid’s 330kV transmission line from Tamworth to Armidale in Northeast NSW and delivery of connection services over the life of the project. The development approval from the NSW Independent Planning Commission was obtained earlier this year which has allowed the commencement of early works for construction.
The New England Solar Farm, near Uralla, in New South Wales, once fully constructed will produce enough energy to power around 250,000 homes each year. It is expected that construction will take around 3 years with generation being brought on line in stages.
UPC\AC is also planning to install a large scale lithium-ion battery storage facility, which will assist with electricity grid stability and provide firm capability to deliver energy at peak periods, lowering prices for consumers.
This project will bring significant value to the local community with up to 500 direct construction jobs during the construction period with opportunities to employ locals from Uralla and the region.
UPC\AC Renewables has also created a community fund that will start with $100,000 dollars in the first year of construction and ramp up to $180,000 per annum when the project is fully commissioned.
CEO Anton Rohner said:
“This is an exciting development to finalise the connection agreement for one of the largest solar farms in the national electricity market. This was one of the last pieces of the development puzzle and we will now look to commencing construction activities shortly.
“This is the culmination of 3 years of hard work by our team and excellent engagement with the local community. The end result will be a solar farm development that adds significant value to the local community over the long term though investment and jobs. I thank the Uralla community for supporting the project”.
Meanwhile, Patrice Clausse, Chief Operating Officer of AC Energy International, added “Building this new solar farm will be a remarkable achievement, one that will put UPC/AC Renewables at the forefront of harnessing Australia’s strong potential in renewable energy and its world class solar resources,” said Clausse.
About UPC\AC Renewables Australia
UPC is a leading worldwide renewable developer with more than 20 years of global experience developing, constructing and operating world-class wind and solar projects.
UPC has developed more than 3,500 MW of operating wind and solar projects with an investment value of over USD5 billion, and have a development pipeline of more than 5,000 MW.
UPC has a proven successful history of being an early entrant in new markets with advanced technology and creative local business strategies, helping countries accelerate their renewable energy development.
UPC\AC Renewables Australia is a 50/50 joint venture between UPC Renewables and AC Energy. It is an Australian domiciled company with extensive experience in renewable energy development, construction and operations.
www.upcrenewables.com
About AC Energy
AC Energy is the energy platform of Ayala, one of the largest business groups in the Philippines. AC Energy is one of the fastest growing energy companies with ~US$2 billion of invested and committed equity in renewable and thermal energy in the Philippines and around the region.
From a strong local base, AC Energy is expanding rapidly around the region through strategic partnerships and greenfield initiatives. The company aspires to exceed 5 GW of renewables capacity and generate at least 50% energy output from renewables by 2025. In 2019, AC Energy’s power portfolio registered an attributable capacity of over 1.8 GW in operation and under construction, spanning projects in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The company increased its attributable energy output in 2019 by 25% to 3,500 Gigawatt hours, of which 50% came from renewable energy sources.
www.acenergy.com.ph