300MW solar PV power plant in Queensland, Australia, given Federal government green tick

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The project will be located near a proposed REZ in Queensland. Image: Cambridge RE Partners.

Yesterday (18 September), the government of Australia granted the environmental tick of approval for a 300MW solar PV power plant to be developed in north Queensland.

Cambridge JMD Australia, a regional subsidiary of fund manager Cambridge RE Partners, is developing the 300MW Cambridge Solar Farm, which is located approximately 80km south of Townsville and will connect to existing transmission infrastructure.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

It will be situated near a proposed Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) previously identified by the Queensland government. Three possible REZs, named Far North Queensland, Collinsville, and Flinders, could be developed in the north and far north regions of Queensland. These are expected to generate up to 5GW of renewable energy if all are completed.

In the case of the Cambridge Solar Farm, being situated close to the REZs could be a boon for the project, allowing it to leverage modern and upgraded transmission and infrastructure to connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

Plans for the 300MW Cambridge Solar Farm also reveal that a battery energy storage system (BESS) could be developed on-site. The capacity and duration of this have not been disclosed.

Site preparation works are expected to commence in late 2025, with the first phase of solar panels to be installed and connected over a 12-month period. Commissioning of the first phase of solar PV modules is expected to occur in late 2026.

Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s minister for the environment and water, said that the Labor government is getting on with turning the country into a renewable energy superpower while also attacking the Liberal–National Coalition’s stance on nuclear energy.

“I’ve ticked off more than 60 renewable energy projects in two years – enough to power almost seven million homes. Peter Dutton can’t tell Australians how much you will pay to build his nuclear reactors, how much the expensive nuclear power will add to your bills, or even how many reactors there will be in Australian communities,” Plibersek said.

“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway and driving down prices or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen.”

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
Solar developer Lightsource bp has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a subsidiary of Taiwanese energy firm HD Renewable Energy (HDRE).
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico