- Squadron Energy has acquired 1.2 GW Clarke Creek Solar and Wind Project from Lacour Energy in Australia’s Queensland
- Construction has begun on site for stage 1 that’s planned to come online in 2024, followed by stage 2 in 2026
- It is expected to have over 800 MW wind and up to 400 MW solar energy capacity along with battery energy storage component
- Andrew Forrest led FFI has also started constructing GEM that’s planned to produce electrolyzers, along with solar cells, panels and arrays
Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest owned Squadron Energy is building an AUD 3 billion ($2.2 billion) renewables project with 1.2 GW capacity, after the latter acquired stages 1 and 2 of Clarke Creek wind, solar and battery farm in Central Queensland. It calls this project the ‘largest’ renewable energy precinct in the Southern Hemisphere.
Squadron Energy has acquired the project from Lacour Energy that says the Clarke Creek Wind and Solar Farm is planned to have over 800 MW wind energy and up to 400 MW of solar power, along with battery energy storage capacity. Squadron Energy has started construction on site.
Stage 1 of the project is expected to be fully operational in 2024 and Stage 2 will come online in 2026 in the Isaac Shire and Livingstone Shire areas.
According to Squadron Energy, in August 2020 Stanwell Corporation and the Queensland government announced a 346.5 MW 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for Clarke Creek.
Together the entire capacity is expected to generate enough power to suffice the electricity requirements of more than 660,000 homes or 40% of the Australian state’s households. To be supplied to the grid, this electricity will help directly lower power prices for the state, create jobs and boost the local economy, stated Squadron Energy, which is a 15% foundation investor in Sun Cable, the company that’s proposed to build up to 20 GW solar capacity (see EOI For Offtakers From AAPowerLink Project).
Nonetheless, Forrest said he plans to bring on other projects larger than Clarke Creek. “We are investing in Clarke Creek not only to harness the renewable power of the wind and sun to energize our homes, our factories and our cities, but as a critical step towards breaking our reliance on fossil fuels,” added Forrest.
In another related news from the Forrest empire, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has also started construction of stage 1 of its Green Energy Manufacturing Centre (GEM) in Queensland’s Gladstone. It is planned to be constructed as the world’s largest electrolyzer facility to be powered by green energy (see Plan For ‘Largest’ Green Energy Fab In Australia).
In the upcoming stages of GEM, FFI may also manufacture wind turbines, solar PV cells, modules and arrays along with other related renewable energy infrastructure ‘according to the requirements of FFI and its customers’.
