Tick for nation’s biggest project

Mega solar farm approved

ONE of the world’s largest solar projects has been approved in Toowoomba’s backyard.

The 1000 megawatt Equis Energy solar farm will cover 1424 hectares and generate about 600 jobs during construction on the land about 12km south-west of Wandoan.

The $2 billion project is the biggest solar farm to be approved in Australia, and ranks as one of the largest in the world, according to Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Paul McVeigh.

It’s a major boon for the town of Wandoan with construction work expected to begin in the next 12 months and be staggered over three years.

“It’s a $2b construction cost and of that we expect at least 50 per cent of that to be invested in the local community,” Cr McVeigh said.

“This 1000MW farm is definitely the largest in Australia that is approved at this stage and potentially one of the largest in the world.

“It covers a lot of country. The ones we have approved to date have been up to 250MW.”

The Equis project will be the seventh solar farm to be approved in the Western Downs which, when combined, generate 2200MW for the domestic energy market.

Cr McVeigh said the farm was not a shift from coal fire or coal seam gas power, but rather it reflected the diversity in the market.

“We have our coal and coal-fire powered stations and coal seam gas,” he said.

“Now we have a third wave of energy with solar farms, wind farms about to start construction on and also the ethanol plan near Dalby.

“We are very proud to be making ourselves the energy capital of Queensland and, we hope, for Australia.”

He said the council had learnt from the resources boom in that the 600 workers would be housed in existing workers’ camps or houses in Wandoan and surrounds.

“We don’t want them in tenements that don’t benefit the community,” he said.

“The time-frame in which council has processed this application highlights the message we are open for business, and I think it is important to reiterate that although our approval process is rigorous, it is efficient.”

❝

We are very proud to be making ourselves the energy capital.

— Mayor Paul McVeigh