ACEN Australia taps PCL for solar project
ACEN Australia Pty. Ltd. announced it has awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the construction of the 520megawatt (MW) Stubbo Solar project to PCL Construction Ltd.
“’Notice to Proceed; has now been issued to PCL for the commencement of Stubbo Solar. This means all major contracts are now in place, following the recently signed connection agreement with infrastructure service provider Lumea Ltd., the execution of PV module supply contracts, and also a commitment from parent company ACEN of $800 million for the construction of the project,” read the statement by ACEN Corp. issued last Tuesday.
Stubbo Solar is ACEN Australia’s second utility-scale solar project in construction. The solar project is located within the Central-west Orana Renewable Energy Zone in the Midwestern Regional Council region and will connect to the existing 330 kilovolt network between Wollar and Wellington.
The project will produce enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 185,000 average Australian homes. The project’s development approval also includes provisions for a 200 MW battery energy storage system, allowing for the project to later on be adapted to dispatch energy when it is most needed during peak hours and provide important grid stability services.
“We are pleased to have reached this next milestone in bringing the Stubbo Solar project to life. It is a critical part of ACEN’S goal of reaching 20GW of renewable energy by 2030, but importantly, Stubbo Solar will contribute to NSW’S energy security and Australia’s transition to a clean energy future,” Sech Zabaleta, chief development officer for ACEN, was quoted in the statement as saying.
Advanced stage
STUBBO Solar was granted development consent in 2021. Construction of the site access recently commenced, with construction of the main works by PCL expected to start in 2023. All going to plan, the project will be operational in 2025.
PCL, meanwhile, is an experienced and diverse construction partner that delivers complete solar energy solutions in Australia, the United States and Canada. PCL has been engaged to deliver all aspects of the solar project and is responsible for the detailed design, engineering and procurement of Stubbo Solar. PCL will also manage ongoing operation and maintenance services in the first two years of operations.
“We look forward to designing and building this important solar project for ACEN Australia,” said Gopi Govindraj, PCL Construction’s country manager.
ACEN Australia has more than 1.5 gigawatts of projects under construction or at an advanced stage of development, including the New England Battery, Stubbo Solar and Valley of the Winds projects in the NSW New England and Central-west Orana Renewable Energy Zones, as well as the Robbins Island and Jim’s Plain Wind project in North-west Tasmania.