Telstra to support construction of 70MW PV project in Queensland

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Once completed, the installation will generate enough energy to power 35,000 homes in the region. Image: Slimdandy / Flickr

Australian telecommunications company Telstra announced this week that it has signed off on a contract with energy company RES to buy all of the power generated by a 70MW PV project set to be built near Emerald, Queensland.

According to the Financial Review, the PPA is expected to last for “multiple years” and was signed as part of Telstra’s goal of protecting itself from rising power prices in Australia.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The US$74 million dollar contract was signed between Telstra and RES Australia, who will serve as the EPC contractor for the 70MW installation.

Once completed, the installation will generate enough electricity to power 35,000 homes in the region.

RES Australia COO Matt Rebbeck noted: “This new solar plant will be one of the largest renewable energy sources in northern Australia, and will create jobs and economic opportunities in regional Queensland.”

Construction on the installation is expected to begin in the second half of 2017, with the PV project expected to then begin generating electricity in 2018.

Read Next

September 5, 2025
Research firm Rystad Energy has found that Queensland’s utility-scale solar PV power plants have dominated the best-performing assets, in terms of AC capacity factor, rankings for August 2025.
September 4, 2025
ARENA has launched the second funding round of its AU$1 billion Solar Sunshot programme, making AU$150 million available.
September 1, 2025
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) hit a record high for the combined utility-scale solar PV and wind share in the electricity mix on 30 August.
August 31, 2025
Renewables developer and independent power producer (IPP) TagEnergy has acquired Australian developer ACE Power, adding 6GW of renewable energy and storage projects to its portfolio.
August 31, 2025
Two CIS tenders have opened in Western Australia, seeking 1.6GW of renewable energy generation in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM).
August 28, 2025
Developer Pacific Energy has successfully commissioned a 26MW solar-plus-storage site at the Atlas-Campaspe mine in NSW, Australia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines