Telstra signs up to buy half the output from big Riverina solar farm, sheep not included

Australian telecoms giant Telstra has signed a deal to buy 50 per cent of the electricity generated by the Glenellen solar farm, a 260MW project currently under construction in the New South Wales Riverina Region.

The deal with the solar farm’s owner, Global Power Generation, marks Telstra’s seventh power purchase agreement (PPA) and brings the total value of Australian renewables projects it supports to more than $1.4 billion, the telco said on Tuesday.

“We’re proud to support the 260MW Glenellen solar farm as it will not only power homes with cleaner energy, but also provide local employment opportunities to the Riverina region,” said Telstra’s product and technology group executive Kim Krogh Andersen.

“Telstra has a strong track record of helping get renewable energy projects off the ground and after bringing Glenellen on board, we now support seven renewable sites across Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales – all of which are either under construction or in operation.

“Agreements like this highlight our dedication to backing innovative projects that deliver better outcomes for our environment and the communities we serve while helping to build a more sustainable future, supporting Australia’s target of 82% renewable energy by 2030.”

The Glenellen solar farm was approved for construction by the NSW Independent Planning Commission in December of last year, as part of a flurry of approvals that helped to break a major lull in the state’s renewables project development pipeline.

The solar farm had faced opposition from members of the local community, with three quarters of the 107 public submissions to the IPC opposed to its development.

Driving some objections were concerns about a “heat island” effect being caused by the solar panels, while others cited concerns about fog, noise, dust, glare, and impact on agricultural resources. The most common complaint was that the proposal “is not a farm, it’s a major industrial plant.”

Supporters noted the project’s emissions benefits, the boost to the local community, and the fact that the solar project will allow ongoing grazing within the area.

In response to the submissions, the developers reduced the number of solar panels by around 23,000, moved the substation to the south of the project, set the project further back from the road, and increased the spacing between rows of modules from 6m to 9m to facilitate more sheep grazing.

The efforts of the developers to balance the need to protect valuable agricultural land with the employment, community and environmental benefits of the solar farm has certainly impressed Telstra.

“The new solar farm combines sustainable energy production with traditional farming, using innovative agro-voltaic technology that allows sheep grazing among solar panels to help preserve the land’s agricultural value,” Andersen said.

Telstra recently boosted its scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction target from 50% to 70% by 2030.