Cimic steps up solar plans with 300MW plus battery project in Sunshine State

The renewable energy arm of construction group Cimic has stepped up its Australian solar ambitions, and added big battery plans, and moved it all north, with the purchase of a 300MW project in southern Queensland.

Pacific Partnerships, a unit of Cimic, said on Thursday it has acquired the development rights for the Hopeland Solar Farm the Sunshine State’s Western Downs region, from the project’s originator Brisbane-based Renewable Energy Partners.

The 300MW solar farm is just the second large-scale PV project to be owned and developed by Pacific Partnerships, with the first being the 102MW Glenrowan solar farm, under construction in northern Victoria.

This time, however, the undertaking is nearly three-times the size, adds a potential 175MW/350MWh (two-hour) battery energy storage system and takes the energy offshoot of Cimic to an entirely new state.

“Queensland is a strategic focus as we expand our diversified national portfolio of energy and utilities assets and contribute to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan for 70% of electricity consumption to be sourced from renewables by 2032, and 80% by 2035,” said Cimic Group executive chair Juan Santamaria.

Hopeland solar farm is located 290km west of Brisbane in the Darling Downs, a part of the the Southern Queensland REZ that has been identified in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan as having high quality solar resources.

“Development of the Hopeland Solar Farm within the Southern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone (QREZ) will support Queensland’s energy transformation, deliver jobs, diversify the economy and lower emissions,” said Pacific Partnerships managing director Simon Nicholls.

“The solar farm will have the potential to generate enough independent electricity to power approximately 100,000 average-sized homes in Queensland and its strategic location close to Western Downs sub-station makes it ideal for co-location of a potential 175MW/350MWh battery energy storage system.”

Pacific Partnerships says it is already getting on to early works as part of the Queensland project’s development and is working with fellow Ciminc offshoot UGL to support this phase.

“Pacific Partnerships will go on to manage the engineering, procurement, and construction, with operations and renewable energy generation currently expected to commence in 2026,” a statement says.