Iberdrola Australia, a sub-division of utility giant Iberdrola, has commenced construction of a 376MW solar-plus-storage project in Queensland.
The Broadsound Solar and Battery, the organisation’s first project in the state, will include a 180MW/260MWh co-located battery energy storage system (BESS). This will capture the energy generated from the solar PV plant and export it to the grid.
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Broadsound is located at Clarke Creek, around 860km northwest of Brisbane, and construction of the project is anticipated to begin in mid-2026. Iberdrola Australia works closely with the Barada Kabalbara Yetimarala (BKY) People on the site’s construction.
Iberdrola Australia’s CEO and chairman, Ross Rolfe, said the project will add to the company’s 1.7GW of national assets.
“After providing energy to Australian customers, including Queensland commercial and industrial businesses, for many years, we’re excited to be soon able to generate energy locally here with the Broadsound Solar Farm and BESS project,” Rolfe added.
The project area is approximately 2,100 acres and predominantly comprised of cleared cattle grazing land. It will contain the solar PV power plant and the connection route to the substation.
Broadsound will utilise approximately 645,000 solar PV modules, solar trackers, medium-voltage power stations, underground cabling, a step-up substation, an overhead evacuation line, associated operation and maintenance buildings, site access and maintenance tracks, and security fencing.
Iberdrola Australia’s solar PV expansion
Since the acquisition of renewables firm Infigen Energy, now Iberdrola Australia, in 2020, the Spanish energy company has invested in several solar and wind projects in the country as well as acquiring engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider Autonomous Energy.
Indeed, in 2022, Iberdrola committed to investing between €2-3 billion (US$1.99-2.99 billion) in renewable energy assets in Australia across the following years. Broadsound is the fruition of that investment.
Broadsound is expected to be the organisation’s largest solar PV project in the country, closely followed by the 245MW Avonlie Solar Farm in New South Wales, which will comprise more than 450,000 solar panels.
The developer also is developing the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park in South Australia. The site consists of 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar modules, granting 217MW of wind and 110MW of solar PV.
The site’s wind farm has been operational since April 2022, and the solar PV part is in its final stages of completion.
