Rugby Run Solar Farm leads utility scale PV performances in August

Adani Renewables Australia’s 65 MW Rugby Run Solar Farm near Moranbah in central Queensland was the nation’s top rating solar farm in the month of August with consultancy firm Rystad Energy noting the facility had delivered an average AC capacity factor of 27.6% for the month.

The 34 MW Middlemount Solar Farm owned by Swiss investment firm SUSI Partners was second in the ratings with the central Queensland project returning a capacity factor of 26% in August. Genex Power’s 50 MW Kidston Solar Farm in the state’s north was third with a 25.1% capacity factor, just pipping Palisade Investment Partners’ 116 MW Ross River Solar Farm in northern Queensland.

Rystad analyst David Dixon said Queensland solar farms took up 11 of the top 15 places for the month with Bright Energy Investments’ 10 MW Greenough River 1 solar farm in Western Australia – which was the first utility scale PV project installed in Australia when completed in 2012 – ranked fifth to interrupt the sunshine state’s dominance.

Dixon said utility scale solar PV generation was up 20% year on year to 828 GWh, compared to 690 GWh in August 2021.

Australian utility PV and wind assets generated a combined 3,880 GWh in the month of August, up 22% from 3,193 GWh the same time last year.

Dixon said it was the highest month for wind generation on record, with wind assets across Australia generating 3,052 GWh of clean energy. The best performing utility wind assets for the month were ENGIE’s Willogoleche wind farm (51.3% CF) in South Australia, followed by Palisade Investment Partners/First State Super’s Snowtown Stage 2 South wind farm (51.2% CF) also in South Australia.