Utility-scale PV developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has signed off on a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Snowy Hydro, one of Australia’s main electricity generation and retailing companies.
This PPA will allow FRV to deliver PV power generated from the 90MW Sebastopol Solar Farm in the Australian state of New South Wales, Australia.
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The 90MW plant, located 16km south of Temora and approximately 440km southwest of Sydney, will be connected to the national grid upon completion. Once operational, it will generate enough energy to power over 40,000 Australian households and avoid the emission of approximately 77,600 tons of CO2 annually, the equivalent of taking about 27,700 cars off the road each year.
FRV also projects that the construction phase of the Sebastopol Solar Farm will create up to 150 jobs, along with 2-3 operational staff for the entire life of the installation. Local contractors or subcontractors will also likely be awarded contracts for tasks such as panel cleaning, fence repair, and road grading.
This stands as the second PPA signed between FRV and Snowy Hydro, as FRV successfully bid for the 68.7MW Goonumbla Solar Farm as part of the Snowy Hydro Renewable Energy Procurement Program in 2018. That installation is currently in its final stages of construction.
Carlo Frigerio, FRV Managing Director, Australia, said: “After the successful experience of Goonumbla, we are pleased to continue working with Snowy Hydro on a second project contributing to the ongoing diversification of the electricity generation resources in NSW and Australia. This project will be our seventh Australian solar farm and will consolidate our leading position in the Australian renewable energy market”.
Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad added: “Through our peaking generation assets we have the capacity to support and ‘firm’ significant amounts of intermittent wind and solar. Following the timely development of Goonumbla, which Snowy Hydro supported through an offtake agreement signed in 2018, we are confident of the same success with Sebastopol.
“Snowy Hydro has significant capacity to firm up and store intermittent renewable energy generation. Our flexible portfolio of fast-start assets allows us to supply our customers with 24/7 renewable energy, lowering prices and increasing energy security.”