Clare Solar Farm to commence construction soon

Clare Solar Farm, located in North Queensland, is expected to be one of the largest utility-scale solar facilities to be constructed this year. The 100 MW AC (126 MW DC) project is the first utility-scale solar generation facility to secure financing purely on the basis of a commercial power purchasing agreement (PPA) without any additional government grants and funding.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has been awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the project, with the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract awarded to Downer EDI. Trina Solar will meanwhile supply the PV modules for the project, comprising monocrystalline Duomax panels rated at 1500 V.

The Duomax modules utilise double glass and a frameless design that is said to enable improved performance. The product is specifically designed to improve project levelised cost of energy (LCOE) driven by its lower degradation rate and 30 years performance warranty. Furthermore, the 1500 V rating enables the savings in balance of systems (BoS) performance improvement at system level.

“We are always looking for technology that maximises generation output over the course of the day,” said FRV Australia Managing Director Cameron Garnsworthy. “Having worked with Trina in the past, we trust in their solutions to meet our customers’ needs whilst satisfying lender provisions relating to project risk.”

The Clare Solar Farm is expected to boost the local economy and create about 200 jobs during its 12-month construction phase, which is set to take place early this year. Once completed, it will generate enough power for 42,000 Queensland homes.