A $125 million solar farm has been built at the University of Queensland’s Warwick Solar Farm supporting up to 100 jobs during construction.
Construction of the farm took 15 months and will see six fulltime, ongoing operation and maintenance jobs based at the site.
The Warwick Solar Farm will support the research and development of new energy solutions such as emerging battery energy storage and hydrogen conversion technologies.
State Development Minister Kate Jones said the 64 megawatt project meant UQ was the first university in the world to have all of its power come from its own renewable energy asset.
“Queensland is already a world leader in the take-up of household solar rooftops and this is another global energy title,” Jones said.
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“The global coronavirus pandemic is impacting economies around the world and Queensland is no different.
“Because Queenslanders have done such a great job fighting coronavirus, we can now focus on delivering Queensland’s plan for economic recovery.
“Backing our renewable energy sector is an important part of that plan – this is about driving down emissions, putting downward pressure on power prices and creating jobs.”
Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said the solar farm was the latest addition to Queensland’s existing suite of renewable energy generation projects.
“Our renewable energy revolution is rolling out, providing jobs and lower power prices for Queenslanders,” Lynham said.
“Queensland now has 6600 MW of large-scale renewable generation either operational or committed.
“We are forecast to reach 20 per cent renewable generation this year and on target to reach our commitment to 50 per cent by 2030.
“Our publicly-owned clean energy generator CleanCo will continue this growth with its remit to bring on an extra 1000 megawatts of clean energy by 2025.”