Spain-headquartered Iberdrola Australia has started construction of its Broadsound 376dc MW solar farm, and 180 MW / 360 MWh 2-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) located in Clarke Creek, 160 kilometres northwest from Rockhampton and 223 kilometres south of Mackay in Queensland.
First announced in 2022, the project is located on a former 3,600 hectare cattle station and is in the vicinity of Australian renewable energy developer Squadron Energy’s Clarke Creek Stage One 450 MW wind farm.
Broadsound solar farm and BESS will generate enough electricity to power 145,000 homes and connect to the grid via existing transmission network service provider (TNSP) Powerlink Queensland’s 275 kV Broadsound substation.
Construction of the 645,000 solar modules is expected to take about two years and be completed in mid-2026.
Iberdrola Australia Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Ross Rolfe said the company is excited to be generating energy in the local Queensland market.
“With more than 20 years’ experience working in Australian communities we’re looking forward to this big step into the Queensland market and adding to our 1.7 GW of energy assets in operation across the country,” Rolfe said.
“It’s been great to work with the local community, the First Nations people, and in particular the Queensland Government and Isaac Regional Council to deliver this project to deliver clean and affordable energy.”
The project is being developed on Barada Kabalbara Yetimarala (BKY) land and the company says it looks forward to continuing to work closely with First Nations people on the project.
A community benefit fund has also been established and tailored to the local community needs during construction and for the operational life of the project.
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