Australia’s ‘Largest’ Corporate Renewable PPA Signed

• Rio Tinto has agreed to procure all power generated by the planned Upper Calliope Solar Farm in Queensland, Australia 
• This European Energy Australia project will have 1.3 GW DC/1.1 GW AC capacity to power the mining giant's Gladstone operations 
• The project is planned to enter construction in 2025-26, when the development and grid connection approvals are in 

European Energy Australia has announced the signing of what it terms as the largest corporate renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) in Australia with the mining giant Rio Tinto turning offtaker for the entire GW-scale farm. 

All the power generated by the 1.3 GW DC/1.1 GW AC Upper Calliope Solar Farm will be supplied to Rio Tinto for its Gladstone, Queensland operations. At Gladstone, Rio operates the Boyne smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery and the Queensland alumina refinery.  

Rio expects the solar farm to bring down its operating carbon emissions by 1.8 million tons/year. All these 3 assets require 1.14 GW of reliable power, equating to a minimum of 4 GW quality wind or solar power with firming for which Rio had launched a competitive solicitation process in 2022. The Upper Calliope Solar Farm is the 1st successful applicant to the same (see 4 GW Large Scale Wind & Solar In Queensland). 

Adding more renewable power and suitable firming options combined with sufficient transmission and supportive industrial policy here could provide the 'core of a solution to repower' the 3 assets, according to the miner. 

As part of its 2050 net zero target, Rio continues to look for renewable energy projects for its other locations, both within and outside of Australia (see Rio Tinto Wants Solar & Storage For Bauxite Mine). 

With the 25-year PPA in its pocket, European Energy plans to break ground on the project in 2025-26, once development and grid connection approvals are in. It will cover up to 2,700 hectares of land. Its construction will create close to 1,000 new direct and indirect jobs and 100 jobs during its operation. 

Calling it a landmark project for the Denmark-headquartered renewable energy developer, European Energy CEO Knud Erik Andersen said, "With a capacity that makes it the largest solar farm we've ever developed, it highlights the transformative potential of solar power in regions like Queensland." 

At Gladstone, Austrom has planned a 3.6 GW solar-powered green hydrogen project. European Energy is a majority stakeholder of Austrom (see European Energy Becomes Part of Solar Hydrogen Project).