1February2017
MediaRelease
NSW’ssolarbonanzaabouttobecomereality
ThreebigsolarprojectsinNSWsupportedbytheAustralianRenewableEnergyAgency
(ARENA)aresettobeginconstructionwithinweeksaftergettingthefinancialgreenlight.
TheplantsinParkes,GriffithandDubbowillconsistofmorethan400,000panelsandwhen
completedwillprovideenoughrenewableenergytopower41,500homesperyear.
DevelopedbyrenewableenergycompanyNeoen,theplantsmakeupaquarteroftheprojects
fundedunderARENA’sgroundbreakingLarge-ScaleSolarCompetitiveRound,whichhas
unlockedabilliondollarsofrenewableenergyinvestmentacrossthenation.
ARENACEOIvorFrischknechtsaidARENAwasacceleratingtheshifttoanaffordableand
securerenewableenergyfutureforAustraliabyrapidlybringingdowncostsandleveraging
privatesectorinvestment.
“Thiscompetitiveroundhasdrivencostsdownandinvestmentup,”saidMrFrischknecht.
“Theplantswillcostaround$2perwattofcapacity,onethirdcheaperthanAGL’splantsin
NynganandBrokenHill,whichcost$2.8perwattin2014andwerecompetitiveatthetime.”
TheNeoenprojectsarecollectivelyreceiving$16millioninfundingthroughARENAand
$150millionindebtfinancingfromtheCleanEnergyFinanceCorporation(CEFC).
MrFrischknechtsaidthatbysupportinginnovatorsandearly-movers,ARENAwasfast-tracking
thedevelopmentofnewAustralianindustrieslikethelarge-scalesolarsector.
“TheAustralianlarge-scalesolarsectorisnowonthecuspofbeingfullycommercial,largely
duetosupportfromARENAandtheCEFC,”hesaid.
HesaidNeoen’ssolarplantswereworld-class,featuringcuttingedgetechnologysuchas
panelsthatfollowthesunasittravelsacrossthesky.
“Byusingsolarpanelsthattrackthesun,theplantswillmaintainahigherenergyoutputfor
moreoftheday.”
“ThenewNeoenplantswillalsoboostregionalNSWeconomies,creatinganestimated250
jobsduringconstruction,mostlyinthelocalregions.
“FiveNSWbasedplantshavewonsupportthroughARENA’sfundingroundandwilltogether
almostdoubletheamountofbigsolarinthestate.”
NeoenAustraliaManagingDirectorFranckWoitiezsaidtheachievementoffinancialclosefor
thethreelarge-scalesolarfarmsinNSWwasanothersteptowardsNeoen’sgoalofowning
andoperating1GWofassetsinAustralia.
“Withlong-termdebtfromtheCEFC,andthesupportfromARENA,Neoencontinuestoinvest
inthefutureoftheAustralianenergymix,anddeliversonitspromisesofbuildingsustainable,
competitiveandrenewableelectricity,”MrWoitiezsaid.
ARENAmediacontacts:
0410028899
1800804149
[email protected]
Formore
information
arena.gov.au
2
ARENA: Media Release
Neoenhassignedcommercialpowerpurchaseagreements(PPA)withenergyretailerENGIEto
sellenergyfromGriffithandParkes,withtheDubboprojectprogressingonamerchantbasis.
Thisisthefirstlarge-scalesolarPPAsignedbyENGIEinAustralia,addingtoitsexisting
renewableenergypresenceofftakeofthe46MWCanundawindfarmandrepresenting
anotherlargeenergyplayersteppingintoAustralia’srenewableenergysector.
Constructionoftheplantsisexpectedtobecompletedbytheendof2017.
Fastfacts
Plant
ParkesSolarFarm
GriffithSolar
Farm
DubboSolarFarm
Size
MWAC
55MW
Size
MWDC
66MWp
30MW
36MWp
25MW
110MW
28MWp
130MWp
Homes
powered
20,500
11,500
9,500
41,500
ARENA
funding
$6.75m
Totalcost
$4.50m
$62.2m
$4.95m
$16.2m
$51.8m
$228m
$114.0m
AboutARENA
ARENAwasestablishedbytheAustralianGovernmenttomakerenewableenergytechnologies
moreaffordableandincreasethesupplyofrenewableenergyinAustralia.Throughtheprovisionof
fundingcoupledwithdeepcommercialandtechnicalexpertise,ARENAprovidesthesupport
neededtoacceleratethedevelopmentofpromisingnewsolutionstowardscommercialisation.
ARENAinvestsinrenewableenergyprojectsacrosstheinnovationchainandiscommittedto
sharingknowledgeandlessonslearnedfromitsportfolioofprojectsandinformationabout
renewableenergy.ARENAalwayslooksforatleastmatchedfundingfromtheprojectsitsupports
andtodatehascommitted$1.1billioninfundingtomorethan270projects.Formoreinformation,
visitwww.arena.gov.au.
AboutNeoen
Neoenisanindependentpowerproducer,generatingelectricityfromrenewablesources(solar,
windorbiomass).Neoendevelops,finances,buildsandoperatesplantsandisactiveinFrance,
Portugal,Australia,Mexico,Egypt,Mozambique,Jamaica,Zambia,JordanandElSalvador.Witha
currentoperatingbaseof1000MW,Neoenseekstoachieveinstalledpowerofover3,000MWby
2020.InAustralia,NeoenownsandoperatestheSouthAustralianHornsdaleWindFarm(309MW)
andtheWesternAustralianDeGrussaSolarandStorageplant(10.6MW).
Foundedin2008,thecompanyisasubsidiaryofImpalaSAS(www.impala-sas.com),adiversified
investmentgroupwithover6,000employeesandaglobalpresence,ofBpifrance
(www.bpifrance.fr),theFrenchpublicinvestmentbank,andofprivateequityfirmOmnesCapital
(www.omnescapital.com).www.neoen.com
AboutCEFC
TheCleanEnergyFinanceCorporationinvests,applyingcommercialrigour,toincreasetheflowof
financeintothecleanenergysector.OurmissionistoaccelerateAustralia'stransformation
towardsamorecompetitiveeconomyinacarbonconstrainedworld,byactingasacatalystto
increaseinvestmentinemissionsreduction.Wedothisthroughaninvestmentstrategyfocusedon
cleanerpowersolutions,includinglargeandsmall-scalesolar,windandbioenergy;andabetter
builtenvironment,withinvestmentstodrivemoreenergyefficientproperty,vehicles,
infrastructure,andindustry.TheCEFCalsoinvestswithco-financierstodevelopnewsourcesof
capitalforthecleanenergysector,includingclimatebonds,equityfunds,aggregationfacilitiesand
otherfinancialsolutions.TheCEFCoperatesundertheCleanEnergyFinanceCorporationAct2012.
Formoreinformation,visitcleanenergyfinancecorp.com.au.
ARENAmediacontacts:
0410028899
1800804149
[email protected]
Formore
information
arena.gov.au