ESCO Pacific, a utility scale solar farm developer in Australia, has secured approval from the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment for its proposed 100 MW Wyalong Solar Farm in the state. The farm will be built in West Wyalong in Riverina region for an estimated AUD 130 million ($91 million).
According to the project website, the 100 MW AC (130 MW DC) Wyalong Solar Farm will be stationed in Bland Shire Council. ESCO Pacific estimates 350,000 solar panels to be mounted on horizontal trackers for this project on 260 hectares of land.
With the approval granted, ESCO Pacific is free to start construction activities on site. It will likely generate up to 150 jobs during the construction period. As per the Environmental Impact Assessment document on the project website, construction is expected to take up 9 months to complete, and the project's operation period is expected to be 40 years.
According to the state government, once the project is complete it will help NSW meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050. In December 2018, ESCO Pacific was granted approval for the 140 MW Mulwala Solar Farm in the state (see NSW Approves 140 MW Solar Project).
Since 2017, the state government has given green light to 26 solar projects across the state representing an investment of about AUD 5 billion ($3.5 billion) in regional and rural NSW, according to the department.
This decision follows the government's go-ahead for the 900 MW Yarrabee Solar Farm in Riverina to Reach Solar Energy in January 2019 (see New South Wales Approves 900 MW Solar Farm).
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