The federal government plans to invest $37 million to support the construction of the Blue Grass Solar Farm in Columboola in South-east Queensland.
This 200MW solar farm is the first Australian project of X-Elio, an experienced renewables developer in the industry, and will be delivered through a partnership between Brookfield and KKR, which has built solar PV plants in more than 10 countries.
Blue Grass Solar Farm will include bifacial solar panels and cutting-edge solar cell technology, which will increase generation capacity and improve efficiency – supporting the federal government’s Low Emissions Technology Statement priority for ultra-low-cost solar.
The solar farm will be built 20km west of Chinchilla in the Darling Downs Renewable Energy Zone, where a coordinated development of new grid infrastructure will see multiple connected and cost-effective transmission lines and generators.
“Australia’s path to carbon neutrality requires the scaling up of technologies which cut both emissions and costs. Blue Grass Solar Farm will not only reduce the cost of solar PV generation, but also help us produce the cheap, clean energy required to generate hydrogen and low emissions steel,” assistant minister to the minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Tim Wilson said.
“Projects like this one will help deliver cheap, clean power in regional Queensland. The construction of Blue Grass Solar Farm is expected to generate 400 jobs in the region.”
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia and member for Maranoa, David Littleproud, said that this was about making practical decisions to reduce emissions and reducing the cost of electricity at the same time.
“We are taking the ideology out of the debate and putting back common-sense solutions so the prices come down, jobs are created and Australia meets its commitments,” Littleproud said.
For more information about the new Blue Grass Solar Farm, visit the CEFC website.