Telstra has inked a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) to source energy from the estimated $150 million (USD 95.6 million) Munna Creek Solar Farm being developed by Greek industrial and energy giant Mytilineos.
Under the off-take deal, Telstra has committed to buy half of the energy generated by the solar plant being built on a 255-hectare site about 40 kilometres northwest of Gympie.
Mytilineos, which acquired the project earlier this year from Brisbane-based developer Renewable Energy System Technologies (REST) Energy, has already started pre-construction works. While no delivery date has been provided, the project is set to connect to the national grid via the existing overhead power line infrastructure that transects the site.
Telstra’s Product and Technology Executive Kim Krogh Andersen said the agreement is the telco’s fifth PPA and takes it a step closer to its goal of meeting 100% of its power consumption with renewables by 2025.
“We’ve supported more than $1.1 billion worth of renewable energy projects across Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales (NSW) as a way to reduce Australia’s reliance on non-renewable energy from fossil fuels,” he said.
“Once these projects are fully up and running, our share of their renewable energy output will be equivalent to more than 80% of our consumption.”
Telstra’s existing PPAs include renewable energy from the 70 MW Emerald Solar Park in Queensland’s Central Highlands region. It also has offtake agreements in place with the MacIntyre Wind Farm in Queensland, along with the Murra Warra Wind Farm in Victoria and Crookwell Wind Farm in NSW.
The Munna Creek Solar Farm is Mytilineos’ ninth solar farm project in Australia. The company’s portfolio includes the recently completed 110 MW Moura Solar Farm in central Queensland and the 30 MW Wagga North, Corowa and Junee solar farms in NSW.
Also included in the portfolio is the 40 MW Kingaroy Solar Farm in Queensland which is now in the final stage of construction and is expected to begin commercial operations in “late 2023”.
Other projects include the 75 MW Wyalong, which has now begun feeding into the grid, and the 19 MW Wagga South and 28 MW Moama solar plants being developed in NSW.
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