Graph of the Day: Broken Hill Solar Plant achieves full generation

Less than a week after the last PV modules were installed at AGL Energy’s Broken Hill Solar Plant, Australia’s second largest solar plant – after its sister plant, Nyngan – has achieved full capacity, sending 53 MW of renewable energy into the National Electricity Market.

As you can see in the graph below, the plant, located in western NSW, reached its capacity output just before midday. It is expected to produce enough renewable energy to power 17,000 homes a year.

When combined with the 102MW Nyngan Solar Plant, also in western NSW, the completed Broken Hill Solar Farm will help produce approximately 360,000MWh of electricity annually – enough to power 50,000 average Australian homes.

“The momentum at our Broken Hill project has been really building,” said AGL’s gead of group operations, Doug Jackson. “We installed the last of the 677,760 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules on Monday and have been pre-commissioning sections in preparation.

“We are still progressing final commissioning and testing with the aim of being fully operational by early December,” he said.

This is another graph, showing the combine output of the solar plants in both Nyngan and Broken Hill on the National Electricity Market.

Further details, including live updates, can be found here.

Acting ARENA CEO Ian Kay said the completion sent a positive signal for large-scale solar in Australia, noting that expressions of interest for ARENA’s $100 million large-scale solar round closed on Tuesday.