Darlington Point Solar Farm

Commercial and industrial energy retailer SmartestEnergy Australia have signed a power purchasing agreement with Octopus Australia to offtake 25% of generation from its Darlington Point Solar Farm in New South Wales.

Octopus Investments Australia, a subsidiary of the major global Octopus Group, today launched two renewable energy investment vehicles totalling $10 billion. The Octopus funds’ first joint acquisition is Australia’s largest operational solar farm, the 333 MW Darlington Point Solar Farm in New South Wales.

The operators of Australia’s largest solar farm have turned to a software-based bidding solution as they seek to optimise dispatch and manage the facility’s market trading and power purchase commitments amid increasingly market volatility.

With two synchronous condensers installed as part of the project, the 275MWac/333MWdc Darlington Point Solar Farm hopes to help manage the ongoing integration of renewable energy generation in the West Murray region.

The renewables investment arm of Octopus Group is seeking to raise up to £250 million ($475 million) through a major initial public offering for investment in onshore wind and solar assets in Europe and Australia. It aims to invest in already operating, in construction and construction-ready assets.

Octopus Energy Investments, the UK’s largest investor in utility scale solar, which set up an office in Melbourne last year, has rebranded itself as Octopus Renewables as the £3 billion (AU$5.3 billion) global fund manager looks to throw its considerable weight behind the global energy transition to renewables.

American EPC Signal Energy has entered the Australian large scale solar marketplace, opening regional headquarters in Sydney. The U.S. firm, which has already won two construction contracts for major solar projects in western NSW, is a long term Canadian Solar project partner.

The U.S.-based tracker manufacturer has been chosen to supply its DuraTrack HZ v3 solar trackers to one of Australia’s largest PV projects – the 333 MW DC (275 MW AC) solar farm at Darlington Point, NSW.

The Chinese-Canadian solar manufacturer has been chosen to supply over 820,000 of modules and handle the EPC duties on one of Australia’s largest solar projects – the 333MW DC (275MW AC) solar farm at Darlington Point, NSW.

In the UK investor’s first deal since entering the Australian marketplace, Octopus Investments and Australian renewables developer Edify Energy have arranged more than $450 million to finance one of Australia’s major PV projects – a 333MW DC (275MW AC) solar farm, which has an approval to be collocated with a 100 MWh energy storage facility at Darlington Point, NSW.