The proposed Edify Energy Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap (SCGG) solar power station in central Queensland will supply 90% of its power and battery storage capacity to mining giant Rio Tinto’s Gladstone aluminium operations, following their signing of two hybrid services agreements (HSAs).
Rio Tinto’s 90% share of the SCGG battery system capacity amounts to 2,160 MWh, which will provide about 30% of the firming required to repower the Boyne smelter with renewable energy.
Located 580 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, the SCGG will be approximately 100 kilometres west of the Boyne Smelter and operational in 2028.
Edify Energy Chief Executive John Cole said the SCGG Solar Power Stations will deliver the latest in solar, battery and inverter technology.
“This collaboration is an important commitment to supporting the sustainable future of Australia’s industrial sector. We are proud to advance Rio Tinto’s goals to repower its Gladstone operations and to play a role in the transition to a low-carbon economy,” Cole said.
It’s the fourth power purchase agreement (PPA) signed by Rio Tinto for renewable energy to supply the Boyne aluminium smelter in Central Queensland, and includes a PPA with European Energy for its proposed 1.1 GW Upper Calliope solar farm.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Australia Kellie Parker said these agreements are integral to repowering the Gladstone aluminium operations with affordable, reliable and lower carbon energy for decades to come.
“For the first time, we have integrated crucial battery storage in our efforts to make the Boyne aluminium smelter globally cost-competitive, as traditional energy sources become more expensive,” Parker said.
Together, the four contracted projects are expected to supply 80% of Boyne Smelter’s annual average electricity demand, reducing the smelter’s scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70%, or 5.6 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, the equivalent of removing about 2 million internal combustion engine (ICE) cars from the road.
“We continue to investigate further renewable energy investments to repower our Gladstone aluminium operations,” Parker said.
Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap Solar Power Stations
The total SCGG station output is expected to generate over 1.5 million MWh of dispatchable renewable energy per annum and save over a million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, generating the equivalent power used by 274,000 households.
The first stage will consist of a 600 MW connection, 720 MWp of solar panels and 600 MW / 2,400 MWh of lithium-ion batteries distributed throughout the solar array, using a DC-coupled architecture.
To be built on 1,800 hectares of land, the hybrid power station will link to Queensland’s state- owned transmission provider Powerlink’s 275 kV network via a new terminal station.
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