Vena hits commercial stage with 125 MW Queensland solar plant

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Vena Energy said the 125 MW Amazon Solar Project Australia – Wandoan, developed near Woleebee about 400 kilometres northwest of Queensland state capital Brisbane, has successfully completed the commissioning process.

The solar farm is equipped with about 250,000 Risen modules, central inverters from Power Electronics, and single-axis trackers from PV Hardware, and is expected to generate up to 365 GWh of clean energy annually, enough to power the equivalent of about 60,000 homes each year.

The project was built by GRS, the solar EPC contractor of Spanish company Gransolar Group whose contract with Vena also includes operations and maintenance of stage one of the solar farm. Construction commenced in May 2022 and the project was announced as operational in February 2024.

Supported by a power purchase agreement with Amazon, the project is part of the larger multi-staged Wandoan South Project that has approvals in place for 650 MW of solar and 450 MW of battery energy storage.  Vena already operates the 100 MW/150 MWh Wandoan South battery system at the same location.

The developer said it is now in the advanced planning stages for the second phase of the solar power plant with the 525 MW Wandoan South Solar 2 project expected to achieve commercial operations by late 2026.

Vena said the entire Wandoan South Project will provide in excess of 1,000 GWh of clean energy annually.

Vena has approvals in place to increase the capacity of the Wandoan South battery to 450 MW.

Image: Vena Energy

The Wandoan South Solar project is part of Vena’s increased focus on the Australian energy market with the developer, owned by US-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), indicating it has 6 GW of renewable energy projects planned here.

The company already operates the 180 MW Tailem Bend Solar Farm in South Australia which is to also include a 41.5 MW one-hour battery energy storage system at the site. The company has also announced plans for a 2,000 MW offshore wind farm in Victoria.

Vena said it has a total of 35 GW of solar, onshore wind, offshore wind, battery storage and hybrid renewable energy projects operating or in development across the Asia-Pacific region.

For Amazon, which has a target to source 100% of its energy supply from renewable sources by 2025, the Wandoan offtake agreement adds to PPAs with two operational solar farms in New South Wales, a wind farm in Victoria, and three rooftop solar projects on Amazon facilities in Melbourne and Sydney.

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