- One of Australia’s largest solar projects has been granted registration to send power to the National Electricity Market
- When complete, New England Solar will produce enough clean, renewable electricity to power more than 250,000 NSW homes
20 December 2022, NSW – ACEN Australia is pleased to announce that its New England Solar project has been granted formal registration to send power into the National Electricity Market (NEM) by the Australian Energy Market Organisation (AEMO).
Energy production from the New England Solar project is now underway after the project generated and delivered five megawatts (AC) of clean renewable energy into the NEM.
The first energy production follows the successful commissioning of the onsite substation and TransGrid’s switching station, which connects the solar project to the electricity transmission network.
The 720 megawatt (AC) New England Solar project is being developed in two stages by ACEN Australia. It was approved by the NSW Government in 2020 and the first 400 megawatt (AC) stage of the project has been in construction since March 2021. It is one of Australia’s largest solar projects to be participating in the NEM, requiring the installation of more than 1.5 million solar panels.
Up to 400 workers have been on site during peak construction activity, upgrading and maintaining roads, installing and building supporting infrastructure and constructing and connecting tracking systems and solar modules. Around 80% of this peak workforce has been filled by personnel within the New England region.
ACEN Australia CEO Anton Rohner said the first energy production for the project was an important milestone for the energy transformation underway across NSW, and Australia.
“When both stages of the solar project are complete it will produce enough clean, renewable electricity to power more than 250,000 homes in NSW.
“It is an exciting time for our construction team and our contracting partners, who have worked very hard over the past two years to install, build, and connect the solar project.
“They have safely completed their work in very challenging circumstances including extreme wet weather and rain events, the impact of COVID and supply chain interruptions.
“We would like to thank our project landholders, First Nations partners, neighbours and the local community for their support over the planning, assessment and construction phase of the project”.
Work on the first 400 MW stage of the New England Solar project is due to be complete by the middle of 2023.
In addition to New England Solar, ACEN Australia has more than 1.5 GW of projects under construction or at an advanced stage of development, including New England Battery, Stubbo Solar, and Valley of the Winds projects in the NSW New England and Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zones. In addition, ACEN Australia is developing Robbins Island and Jim’s Plain Wind and North East Wind in Tasmania.
Media enquiries
Michael Connarty
Manager, Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement
ACEN Australia
0407 368 174
michael.connarty@acenrenewables.com.au
About ACEN Australia
ACEN has been a partner of UPC Renewables in Australia since 2018. In 2021, ACEN began a transaction to eventually own 100% of UPC\AC Renewables by early 2023; with this transaction, the company is now called ACEN Australia. This marks a strategic pivot for ACEN as it embarks on its first wholly owned development and operations platform outside of the Philippines.
ACEN is the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group. The company has ~3,700 MW of attributable capacity in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Australia. The company’s renewable share of capacity is at 93%, among the highest in the region.
ACEN’s aspiration is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with a goal of reaching 5,000 MW of renewables capacity by 2025. In October 2021, ACEN announced its commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
More information
ACEN – visit www.acenrenewables.com
ACEN Australia – visit www.acenrenewables.com.au
DISCLAIMER: This disclosure may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risk factors and opportunities that may affect ACEN’s plans to complete the transaction/s subject of this disclosure. Each forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of this disclosure. Outcomes of the subject transaction may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this disclosure.