Nextracker’s solar tracker technology has been chosen for what stands to be Australia’s largest solar farm when construction completes.
Independent power producer Neoen and the project’s engineering, procurement and construction contractor Sterling and Wilson have selected Nextracker’s NX Horizon technology to be used on the 460MWp Western Downs Green Power Hub, to be located in Queensland.
Installation of the trackers is due to start next year.
Peter Wheale, managing director at Nextracker Australia & Oceania, said the award would build on the company’s existing portfolio of solar developments featuring its technology in Australia, which stands at 4GW.
“We have led the market by passionately delivering more customer value with best-in-class yield generation, client support and asset management technologies,” he said.
NX Horizon is optimised for bifacial panels, professing to increase the yields on projects by enabling a 120-degree range of motion. To date, the system has been utilised by 40GW of solar projects worldwide.
The Western Downs Green Power Hub has been edging closer to breaking ground throughout 2020. Neoen clinched a landmark power purchase agreement with government-owned energy company CleanCo Queensland in May, allowing the project to advance to the build phase.
Coming in at a cost of around AU$570 million (US$366 million), initial development was to begin in July this year prior to it connecting to Powerlink Queensland’s transmission network in Q1 2022.