The South Australian government has approved the 280MW Cultana solar farm with financial close expected to be reached by the end of June.
Construction will begin in the Upper Spencer Gulf town of Whyalla in the second half of this year.
The project, set over 1100 hectares of vacant land to the north of the Whyalla Steelworks, will include 780,000 solar panels capable of generating 600 gigawatt hours of power a year, enough to power almost 100,000 homes.
Simec Energy Australia, part of GFG Alliance, will deliver the project.
The energy generated will be fed into the national electricity grid via the existing ElectraNet Cultana substation.
Simec Energy Australia chief executive Marc Barrington said securing development approval was an important step in the company’s goal of providing globally competitive energy for Australian business and industry.
“Delivery of this new sustainable energy generation asset will also contribute to emissions reductions, sustainability objectives, and increase the overall reliability and security of electricity supply for users across the Upper Spencer Gulf region,” he said.
Simec Energy has amended the layout and construction methods of the farm to reduce the amount of native vegetation requiring removal, from the originally proposed 871 hectares down to 448 hectares.
The developer will also pay A$3.4m into the Native Vegetation Fund, which helps restore, revegetate and protect vegetation across South Australia.
The company has also worked with Succession Ecology Australia to identify a new way to flatten native vegetation, which reduces the effects of dust on site during construction and long-term problems associated with disturbing the soil crust.
Other proposed projects in the GFG Alliance 1GW energy plan include the Playford battery at Port Augusta and the Middleback Range pumped hydro project on Eyre Peninsula, which is in the early planning stages.
A development application has been lodged with the South Australian government for the Playford battery. If it goes ahead, the battery would be charged at times of high-energy output from renewable sources in the region, including the nearby Cultana solar farm.
The renewable energy generation and storage projects will also help power the Whyalla Steelworks.