Initial Stage of Kennedy Energy Park Begins Construction

The construction on the initial 60MW of a proposed 1200MW Kennedy Energy Park in north Queensland has begun and the ceremonial turning of the sod was held on Monday.
The $160 million initial phase of the renewables project will combine 43.2MW of wind, 15MW of single-axis tracking solar PV, and a 2MW/4MWh lithium-ion battery storage system provided by Tesla.
A report from the RenewEconomy website stated that the first stage of the project is anticipated to be completed and supplying energy to the grid late next year. CS Energy, a company owned by the Queensland government, contracted to buy the renewable electricity under a 10-year power purchase agreement.
The phase one construction was made possible by the financing from the CEFC and a refundable grant from ARENA. Canberra-based Windlab was also able to raise $50 million through a public offer in August.
Roger Price, Windlab CEO, said, “This is an industry first that will produce and feed clean renewable energy into the grid with much greater consistency and reliability from a combination of solar, wind, and battery storage. It is also an important valuable demonstration of how renewable energy can be used to cost-effectively meet most network demand for power – day and night.”
He added, “We are excited about the opportunities that the expertise gained from this pioneering project will present as we seek to replicate it across selected locations in Australia and South Africa.”
Jim Soorley, CS Energy Chairman, expressed that the beginning of the construction is a great day for the region and cemented the region as the renewable energy capital of the state. “CS Energy is proud of its role in Kennedy Energy Park through a long-term agreement to purchase the electricity output and a proportion of the large-scale generation certificates from the planned hybrid generation facility,” Soorley stated.
He concluded by saying, “The agreement supports the CS Energy strategy to facilitate renewable energy development in Queensland while continuing to provide reliable baseload electricity through its existing portfolio of power stations.”
Read the report here.