Australia puts green tick on 300-MW solar project in Queensland

The Australian federal government on Thursday said it has given the green light to a 300-MW solar park project with a battery storage component in the state of Queensland.

The permit concerns the Cambridge Solar Farm, a proposal launched by domestic developer Cambridge JMD Australia, part of alternative fund manager Cambridge RE Partners.

Tp be located about 80 km (49.7 mi) south of Townsville, the photovoltaic (PV) farm is expected to generate enough electricity to cover the consumption of 123,000 local homes annually while offsetting over 670,000 carbon dioxide emissions. It will be connected to the grid through existing transmission infrastructure.

The project, with a DC capacity of 400 MW, will be realised at a cost of about AUD 650 million (USD 442.5m/EUR 397.6m) and is the first phase of a gigawatt-scale development. Its construction phase is expected to open about 400 job positions.

According to official documents, site preparation works for the Cambridge Solar Farm are due to begin in late 2025. The plant is anticipated to go online a year later, at the end of 2026.