Canadian energy group TransAlta, which owns gas-fired generators in Western Australia, is moving into the large-scale solar market and is proposing a 150MW solar plant near Parkes in NSW, the first of a number of projects up to 200MW it is pursuing in Australia.
The listed, Calgary-based TransAlta is one of a number of international and local companies looking at large-scale solar in Australia, which is generating significant interest due to its ability to tap into solar resources and its falling costs, which are nearing that of wind energy.
TransAlta, which owns and operates Canada’s largest fleet of wind farms, is teaming up in Australia with Renewable Energy Consultancy, which is responsible for site identification and project development.
“We expect this to be the first of a number of projects, ranging in scale from 10-200MW,” REC director Colin Liebmann said. TransAlta will build, own and operate projects after the development phase has been completed and commercial arrangements are finalised.
The Goonumbla solar project is adjacent to an 80MW solar project being proposed by French group Neoen, and which has made the shortlist of a funding round sponsored by the Australian Renewable Energy, and could be up to 150MW peak.
Liebmann says the planning process has been initiated, as have discussions with transmissions group Transgrid.
TransAlta is just one of a number of local and international groups targeting Australia’s large-scale solar market, attracted by the excellent solar resources, plunging cost of solar technology, and specific incentive schemes such as the ARENA tender and government mandates like Queensland’s upgraded Solar 120 initiative.
More than 70 different projects were submitted to the ARENA tender, with 22 making the shortlist.
Meanwhile, numerous other proposals have emerged, including from the likes of Adani, which has identified 650MW of solar projects in Australia; and Reach Soar, headed up by former Hazelwood boss Tony Concannon, which is looking at a 200MW solar project in Port Augusta and other smaller projects around the country.
TransAlta has around 640MW of gas-fired generators in the Pilbara and goldfields regions of Western Australia, and owns a 275km gas pipeline. It has 1,500MW of wind capacity in the US and Canada, and owns 21MW of small solar projects in the US. It also operates 5GW of coal-fired generation and another 1GW of gas generation in north America.
TransAlta’s business development manager in Perth, Liz Cussans, said the company had been interested in solar for some time, but was just now getting into solar developments.
The first opportunity emerged with its small portfolio in Massachusetts, but “Australia feels like the obvious place to do solar …  there is a market out there for renewable energy and Australia is blessed with an excellent solar resource.”
Cussans said  the first steps were exploratory, but the company wanted to build up a portfolio in the eastern states and in Western Australia, where its current assets are located.
“We are a long-term owner and operator …. so hopefully we will have a solar fleet to add to our gas fleet and go from there.”
The Parkes Chamber of Commerce told the local ABC that it was optimistic about both potential solar projects in the region.
“The renewable sector is growing. We’re seeing larger operations further west, and if our workers locally can have that training and knowledge, I think it’ll be definitely used down the track,” President Geoff Rice said.
