Final Solar Panels Installed at Broadsound Project in Queensland

Final Solar Panels Installed at Broadsound Solar Farm

The Broadsound solar farm and big battery project in central Queensland has reached a significant milestone with the completion of solar panel installations. Iberdrola Australia announced via LinkedIn that every one of the 609,522 solar panels is now in position at the project’s 377 megawatt (MWdc) solar segment.

Situated 150km northwest of Rockhampton at Clarke Creek, on land belonging to the Barada Kabalbara Yetimarala People, the site features over 91,000 piles and 7,006 solar trackers. “A mechanical installation team of 110 workers has been behind this achievement, with nearly half identifying as First Nations,” noted Iberdrola Australia, highlighting the diverse workforce contributing to the project’s final stages.

Battery Testing Phase Underway

This announcement follows closely on the heels of an earlier update, shared nearly seven weeks prior, detailing the integration of the 180 MW/360 megawatt-hour (MWh) Broadsound Battery into the AEMO Market Management System (MMS). This integration kick-started the battery’s testing and commissioning phase.

Iberdrola’s Ambitious Expansion Plans

Construction on the solar and battery facility commenced in September 2024, marking Iberdrola’s inaugural project in Queensland and showcasing the company’s expanding footprint in Australia. In late 2022, Ignacio Galán, chairman of Iberdrola, revealed plans to inject between €2 and €3 billion into Australia’s clean energy transition, with the aim of developing a renewable energy portfolio of approximately 4 gigawatts (GW).

The company manages several operational renewable projects, including the 242 MW Ararat wind farm in Victoria and the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, which integrates 217 MW of wind and 110 MW of solar energy. Furthermore, Iberdrola is actively developing numerous initiatives at various stages, comprising five battery installations, nine wind farms, and the ambitious 3 GW Aurora Green Offshore Wind project off the coast of Gippsland in Victoria.

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