Kidston Solar Project is a

photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially us ...

solar power station built on top of the former

Kidston Gold Mine Kidston Gold Mine is a former open cut gold mine in northern Queensland, Australia. Gold was first discovered around 1907 at what was initially known as ''Oak's Rush'' and renamed to Kidston a few months later as a gold rush started. The gold w ...

utilising the tailings storage facility in northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The project consists of two

solar farm Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

s, KS1 and KS2. The Kidston Solar Project is the first of four projects that comprise the Kidston Clean Energy Hub also occupying this area. A 250 megawatt (MW) hydro-pumped storage power generation project and a 150 MW

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundre ...

make up the third and forth components. The site is located close to an existing substation and

transmission line In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough that the wave nature of the transmis ...

. The Kidston Solar Project generates up to 145 Gigawatt hours of renewable electricity per year. In total, there are 540,000 panels that makes up the project, manufactured by company First Solar Inc on a single axis tracking system. The photovoltaic panels are mounted on the tracking system which shifts the angle of the panels to follow the sun. Financial close was reached in February 2017 for KS1, with first energisation occurring in November 2017. It is now fully commissioned and operational, connected to the existing 132Kv transmission line powered by

Ergon Energy Ergon Energy Network is a subsidiary company oEnergy Queensland Limited (EQL) a Government owned corporation owned by the Government of Queensland. It distributes electricity to around 763,000 customers across Queensland, excluding South East Qu ...

and generating electricity into the

NEM Nem (Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: món nem) refers to various dishes in Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese, depending on the locality. Nem may refer to: *Nem rán, known in foreign countries as spring rolls, fried rolls or Vietnamese Imperial r ...

. Construction was fully funded at $115M with construction activities for the project built on-time and on-budget via the project's EPC contractor, UGL. Financing was underpinned by the 20-year Revenue Support Deed with the Queensland Government for 100% of the energy generated from the Project, in addition to a $8.9M funding grant provided by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. In April 2022, Kidston Solar Project was rated as the best-performing solar farm in Australia, with a capacity factor of 26.4%.

References

{{Solar farms in Australia Solar power stations in Queensland Einasleigh, Queensland 2017 establishments in Australia Energy infrastructure completed in 2017

See also

References