Neoen starts construction of 440 MWp solar farm in New South Wales

Neoen has provided notice to proceed with a joint venture between Bouygues Construction Australia and Bouygues Energies & Services Australia under an engineering, procurement and construction turnkey contract, signalling the start of construction of the 440 MWp/ 350 MW AC Culcairn Solar Farm. The project is located in Wiradjuri Country, 45 km north of Albury in the Riverina region of New South Wales (NSW). Culcairn Solar Farm has been developed by Neoen and is expected to be operational in 2026. It includes the option to incorporate a 100 MW battery at a future date. 

Neoen has also recently been awarded a Long-Term Energy Services Agreement (LTESA) through the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Services’ tenders under the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, designed to enable the state to achieve its target of reaching net zero by 2050. This type of LTESA agreement provides energy producers with the option to sell their electricity at an agreed-upon minimum fixed price and is complementary to a PPA.

The solar farm is expected to generate enough energy to power 160,000 homes, more than double the number of dwellings in the Riverina region of NSW. It will deliver a significant boost to the regional economy, with over 400 construction jobs expected as well as seven permanent positions once it starts operating. As a long-term owner and operator, Neoen is committed to sharing benefits with the local community and will implement a programme totaling A$10 million over the asset’s lifetime. This includes an annual Community Benefit Fund for local community building initiatives and contributions to the Greater Hume Shire Council. The solar farm will incorporate agrisolar in the form of sheep-grazing.

In September 2023, Rubis Photosol and Neoen SA were the leading winners, with allocated capacities of 257 MWp and 221.6 MWp respectively, in the recent tender for ground-mounted solar power plants in France. The total tendered capacity was 1,519 MWp which was a slight increase from the earlier announced 1,500 MWp.