Spanish multinational electric utility company Iberdrola has begun the construction of the Port Augusta hybrid wind-solar power plant. It is the group’s first renewable energy project in Australia after the acquisition of Infigen Energy, one of the country’s key developers of renewable energy projects.
The Port Augusta project, located in the state of South Australia, is so far its first solar-wind hybrid plant in the world, with an investment of A$500 million. The renewable facility will combine 210 MW of wind with 107 MW of solar PV. Once in operation, it will generate enough clean energy to supply the annual demand of 180,000 Australian homes.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2021 and will have the participation of global, local, and Spanish suppliers. Specifically, Spain’s Elecnor will be the company responsible for building the plant substation and the transmission line, as well as storage areas and access roads. Vestas, for its part, will manufacture and install the 50 wind turbines with a unit capacity of 4.2 MW in the wind farm; Longi will supply the roughly 250,000 solar panels for the photovoltaic plant, and Sterling & Wilson will build the plant.
After the incorporation of Infigen Energy, Australia has become one of the great growth platforms for Iberdrola. The group has become one of the leaders in the Australian market, operating in the country more than 800 MW of solar, wind, and storage batteries, including its own and contracted capacity, and a significant portfolio of projects: 453 MW under construction (including Port Augusta) and more than 1,000 MW in different stages of development.
REGlobal’s Views: The Australian renewables sector offers significant potential and, Iberdrola’s expansion plans in Australia reiterate the opportunities the country offers for clean energy development.
