Australia’s biggest solar project that will help power giant smelter seeks green tick from government

The 1,100 megawatt (MW) Upper Calliope solar project, which would by far the biggest solar project on Australia’s main grid if built today, has sought approval under the federal government’s EPBC legislation.

Upper Calliope is one of two gigawatt scale projects contracted by mining giant Rio Tinto to help power the huge smelters and refineries that it operates in Queensland, and which are currently supplied by coal and are the biggest energy consumers in the state.

The 25-year off take agreements signed by Rio Tinto, which also include Windlab’s Bungaban wind project, are the largest of their type in Australia. The Bungapan project, near Wandoan, is also seeking EPBC approval.

The Upper Calliope project site – being developed by European Energy – is located 50 kms west of Gladstone and is spread across 12 lots and road reserves and 8,000 hectares.

The Calliope River flows through the project area, which features mostly cleared farming land. The project web site says one third of the site will be dedicated to the solar project, and two thirds will be suitable for continued grazing activities.

“Rio Tinto has signed a contract to purchase all the electricity generated from the Project to power their three main assets in the region – the Boyne Island aluminium smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery and the Queensland alumina refinery,” the application says.

“The Project will contribute to Rio Tinto’s objective to securing 4 GW of wind and solar energy to provide clean power for the three operations which currently utilise coal powered energy source.”

Rio has also opened a tender for a similar amount of wind and solar to help power the Tomago aluminium smelter in NSW, and is seeking nearly a gigawatt of wind and solar for its giant iron ore mines in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

European Energy says the detailed design, specific layout and electricity generating capacity of the Upper Calliope solar project have not been finalised at this stage, including the specific type and number of modules and inverters. It is likely to have four collector substations.

It has not yet committed to having any battery storage at the site, but if it does these are likely to be located next to the collector sub stations and will not greatly affect the environmental impact.