Biggest solar farm contracted for green hydrogen to begin construction

Construction is about to begin on the 380 MW Aldoga solar project near Gladstone in Queensland, the biggest solar project to date that will provide all its output for a green hydrogen facility in Australia.

The Queensland government, which has contracted the output for the solar project through the state owned Stanwell generation company, says construction will begin in early 2024, about 20kms north of the Gladstone port, a centre for the coal and LNG industries.

The output is destined for Stanwell’s Central Queensland Hydrogen Project (CQ-H2), one of the most advanced green hydrogen projects in Australia. It will serve that customer “behind the meter”.

Another large solar project, the Bulli Creek facility in south Queensland, also has an MoU with Fortescue Metals to use the output for its Gibson Island green hydrogen project, although this is less advanced.

The Queensland government says the Aldoga project, which will rank behind only the Western Downs solar project as the biggest in the state, will create 360 jobs and inject $150 million back into the local economy.,

“This demonstrates that the manufacturing of clean energy and green hydrogen spells good jobs for regional Queensland,” energy and hydrogen minister Mick de Brenni said in a statement.

Acciona Energia managing director Brett Wickham says the company will source at least $150 million in work from local companies and suppliers around Gladstone and the Sunshine State to help build the project.

“The Aldoga Solar Farm will be a catalyst for a vibrant hydrogen industry here in Gladstone and we’re proud to finally be getting construction underway.”

Acciona Energia has 1.5GW of renewable projects under construction in Queensland, with work well underway on the 1GW Macintyre wind project, which will be the biggest in the country once complete, at least for a time.