Aurecon advises Spark Infrastructure on the build of its first renewable energy generation project in Australia

PRESS RELEASE

Engineering, design and advisory company Aurecon has been appointed by Spark Infrastructure as the owner’s engineer for the Bomen 120 MWdc bi-facial solar photovoltaic (PV) project currently under construction near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

This appointment follows on from Aurecon’s role as technical advisor to Spark Infrastructure for its acquisition of the project earlier this year. Aurecon’s role as owner’s engineer includes reviewing the detailed design and the performance of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, Beon Design Solutions (Beon), and will work closely with Spark Infrastructure’s own resources to oversee the construction and delivery process.

“This project is significant for a number of reasons and demonstrates how Australia’s energy market continues to transform. We are seeing new participants enter the renewable energy market, including this being Spark Infrastructure’s first solar PV generation project, as well as the involvement of large corporate customers who are increasingly purchasing energy generated by these types of projects.

It also shows how far renewable energy technology has come, with Bomen, when completed, being the largest bi-facial solar project in Australia,” Aurecon’s Global Service Leader for Power Generation, Paul Godden said.

“The use of 310,000 bi-facial solar panels, which are transparent on both sides enabling sunlight to be harvested from both the front and rear of the panel, is expected to produce enough power for the equivalent of 36,000 Australian homes. These types of panels are expected to produce higher energy yield by absorbing the light scattered from the ground and surroundings,” Paul said.

“It’s exciting to see significant investment in a large-scale bi-facial solar project in Australia. The project will no doubt be watched closely as it potentially sets the benchmark for future bi-facial solar projects that follow in Australia and globally.”

“As a leader in renewable energy, Aurecon is proud to be a part of projects like this that are transforming the industry. We will work closely with Spark Infrastructure, as well as the EPC contractor, Beon, to support the project and its stakeholders to achieve their objectives,” Paul said.

The Bomen Solar project commenced in April 2019 and is expected to be completed by Q2 2020 with the asset lifetime of the solar farm expected to be 30 years.