Asia Pacific PV News Snippets: 2 New Contracts For 720 MW AC In Australia & More

2 new contracts for 720 MW Australian project: Australian beverage company Asahi Beverages and aged care organization BaptistCare have entered power purchase agreements (PPA) for solar energy from 936 MW DC/720 MW AC New England Solar Farm. Touted as the largest solar project in New South Wales (NSW), it is a facility owned by ACEN Australia with energy retailer Flow Power signing the agreements. Asahi will purchase 30,000 MWh annually from the project, BaptistCare will pay for around 15,000 MWh annually in 2 PPAs for solar and wind energy with Flow Power. One of the 2 PPAs for BaptistCare is for the New England Solar Farm which will commence in 2025. According to ACEN’s website, New England Solar Farm’s phase I with 521 MW DC/400 MW AC capacity was commissioned in 2023. Under phase II, 416 MW DC/329 MW AC and 200 MW/2-hour battery storage capacity will enter construction in 2024. For this project, ACEN has a 20-year Long Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) with NSW government.      

100 MW Indonesia project: Chinese solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar has announced the commissioning of the 100.78 MW Karawang PV Project in Indonesia to the grid. The company supplied its Tiger Neo 78-cell bifacial n-type TOPCon modules to the project located in West Java, near the equator where temperatures exceed 41ºC and it receives abundant rainfall. Constructed by POWERCHINA subsidiary Hubei Engineering Company, this facility is the largest land-based PV power station in the country in terms of installed capacity, claims JinkoSolar.   

RES divests 1 GW in Australia: UK-headquartered renewable energy projects developer and operator RES has offloaded its 1 GW Tallawang Solar-Battery Energy Storage Project in Australia. The NSW-located project has been acquired by Enel Green Power Australia (EGPA). The project with 500 MW AC and 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) is sited in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). EGPA is a joint venture (JV) between Enel Green Power and INPEX Renewable Energy Australia.   

PPA for 12 MW in Thailand: Thailand-based solar power projects developer Constant Energy, backed by funds advised by JP Morgan Asset Management, signed a PPA for 12 MW rooftop solar capacity in the country. The offtaker is Midea Refrigeration Equipment (Thailand) on whose factory solar panels will be installed. Constant targets to equip Midea’s factory across 3 buildings and 1 car park in Chonburi province under the agreement. It will enable the latter to reduce its carbon emissions by around 130,000 tons over the project’s lifespan. “Midea Group’s household air-conditioning factory in Nansha, Guangzhou, China, has already garnered acclaim as a ‘Lighthouse’ in manufacturing by the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network. We are certain that this collaboration will allow the factory in Thailand to follow in these influential footsteps, setting new standards for outstanding achievement and efficiency,” said Constant Energy’s CEO Franck Constant.    

28.7 MW changes hands in Vietnam: Actis-backed Levanta Renewables is acquiring a 28.7 MW rooftop solar system in Vietnam. It is being sold by related companies of logistics firm Tien Nga Joint-Stock Company. The rooftop solar system is one of the largest single-site rooftop solar installations in Vietnam, according to Levanta. It is located in the Dong Nai province in South Vietnam. Once operational, it is expected to generate 34 GWh annually to be supplied to Vietnam Electricity (EVN) under long-term PPAs. This transaction of Levanta follows its recent acquisition of a 139 MW solar PV operating portfolio in Thailand (see Asia Pacific Solar PV News Snippets).