Shell picks Australia’s Queensland for first large-scale solar play

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Royal Dutch Shell sign outside forecourt of service station. Image credit: Shell International

Royal Dutch Shell has set its sights on Australia as the home for what it says is its first ever utility-scale solar plant, a project it will use to power its nearby natural gas operations.

On Friday, the oil and gas major said it will build and run a 120MW solar plant near the town of Wandoan, a six-hour drive northwest of Queensland capital Brisbane.

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

Construction of the 400,000-panel installation has already kicked off at a site on land owned by the Iman, an Aboriginal people native to areas part today of central Queensland.

Project ‘Gangarri’ – the Iman word for ‘sunlight’ – could bring 200 new jobs during construction and is meant to reach completion early next year, Shell Australia explained in a prepared statement.

The choice of Queensland stems not only from its solid PV resource – the state boasts “some of the most reliable sunshine” in the world, Shell said – but also the fact it hosts some of Shell’s existing gas projects.

As the firm's statement explained, the project is “also located adjacent to existing power infrastructure and inside the footprint of Shell’s QGC onshore natural gas project that stretches across Queensland’s Western Downs region”.

Utility-scale solar debut after raft of M&A moves

Once operational, the 120MW plant will supply PV electricity to Shell’s own energy trading unit Shell Energy Australia, under a power purchase agreement whose terms have not been made public.

Shell’s plan is for the PV power to then be sold to its QGC unit, previously known as Queensland Gas Company and bought by Shell as part of its broader takeover of the BG Group in early 2016.

The PV electricity from Gangarri will be, Shell said, “topped up” with other generation sources to ensure QGC receives “consistent and reliable” electricity.

Shell’s decision to deploy its global utility-scale solar debut in Australia follows the firm’s efforts, over the past year, to build a foothold via a flurry of M&A moves.

The oil and gas player – which counts Australia among its “core” emerging market targets – bought stakes in local supplier ERM Power and PV developer ESCO Pacific in the space of a few weeks last December.

Shell’s new solar foray finds Australia at a tumultuous time, with analysts predicting a buoyant year for both large- and small-scale solar even as bushfires and weather hazards pile pressure on project operation and maintenance.

21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.

Read Next

July 4, 2025
Australian retailer AGL Energy has confirmed its acquisition of South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant (SAVPP) from Tesla.
July 3, 2025
Malaysian engineering and infrastructure giant Gamuda has expanded its presence in the Australian renewables sector by partnering with Tasmanian landowners to build a 1.2GW portfolio, which includes solar PV.
July 2, 2025
A new state-owned green bank, the Energy Security Corporation (ESC), has launched in New South Wales, Australia, with an initial funding allocation of AU$1 billion (US$640 million).
Premium
July 2, 2025
ANALYSIS: China's leading PV manufacturers are locked in a new round of competition, aiming to outpace each other through record-breaking feats.
July 2, 2025
Indigenous-led renewable energy company Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has submitted plans for a hybrid wind and solar PV renewable energy project to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
July 2, 2025
Robotics company Luminous has received AU$4.9 million (US$3.2 million) via Australia’s Solar ScaleUp Challenge to support deploying its ‘LUMI’ technology at utility-scale solar PV power plants.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK