· Investment in the construction of the Cohuna Solar Farm amounts to over 42 million US dollars
· The PV project, located in the State of Victoria, is expected to start operations by the end of 2019, generating up to 77 GWh per year once fully up and running
Rome and Melbourne, April 18th, 2019 – Enel’s renewable energy subsidiary, Enel Green Power Australia Pty Ltd. (“Enel Green Power Australia”), has started construction of the 34 MW[1] Cohuna Solar Farm in the Shire of Gannawarra, in the State of Victoria, approximately 8 kilometres south of the town of Cohuna. Investment in the construction of the solar facility amounts to more than 42 million US dollars.
“Since EGP made its entry into the Australian renewable sector, we have already made great strides to expand our footprint in this competitive market,” said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel Green Power (“EGP”). “Cohuna’s zero-emission energy will be produced using highly efficient bifacial panels, which will maximise our support to the State of Victoria in the pursuit of its renewable energy targets.”
Cohuna is set to enter into commercial operation by the end of 2019 and is expected to generate up to 77 GWh each year, avoiding the annual emission of around 71,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. The new solar project, which will be composed of around 87,000 bifacial modules, will be connected to the local distribution grid through the Cohuna Zone Substation.
This project is backed by a 15-year support agreement with the State of Victoria for the generation of energy and green certificates. The agreement was awarded to Enel Green Power Australia through a renewable energy reverse auction launched by Victoria in November 2017 for 650 MW of renewable capacity, of which 100 MW was earmarked for solar. The tender is part of Victoria’s Renewable Energy Target (“VRET”) to source 25% of its electricity production from renewables by 2020 and 40% by 2025.
Enel Green Power Australia, in joint venture with Dutch Infrastructure Fund (“DIF”) owns the 275 MW[2] Bungala Solar PV Project, which is located near Port Augusta, South Australia, and is the largest solar facility currently producing energy in the country.
Enel Green Power, the global renewable energy business line of the Enel Group, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of over 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.
[1] Approximately 34.2 MW DC capacity, equivalent to 27.3 MW AC.
[2] More precisely, 275.4 MW DC equivalent to around 220 MW AC.