NSW gives green light for 53MW solar plant at Broken Hill

The NSW department of planning and environment has given the green light for a new 53MW solar PV power plant at Broken Hill after approving the Construction Environmental Management Plans for the project.

The solar plant, to be built by First Solar on behalf of AGL Energy, and partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency under the Labor government’s now defunct Solar Flagships program, is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

It is being built as part of a broader project that includes a 103MW solar plant in Nyngan, also in the west of New South Wales, which is attracting numerous other proposals including a series of solar plants totalling 115MW around 5 key regional centres.

AGL’s project manager for the Broken Hill Solar Plant, Adam Mackett, says the company can now move on from site establishment and accessing road works to the actual construction phase of the project.

AGL says it will be discussing the next stage of construction at the fourth Broken Hill Solar Plant community information session on Wednesday, November 5 at the Broken Hill Centre for Community.

“We remain committed to continuing to hold regular community information sessions to help ensure the local community is kept informed about the project and also has the opportunity to meet the project team face-to-face to ask any questions they may have,” Mackett said in a statement.

The company says it has also established a community fund, and community groups can apply for funds to support a range of local projects, with $25,000 on offer in the first round.

The finished solar plant will consist of over 650,000 solar PV modules, covering an area of approximately 140 hectares.