Two New Solar Farms Commissioned for Telstra in Australia

Naturgy Launches Two Solar PV Plants in Australia for Telstra

Spanish energy firm Naturgy has officially launched two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants across different Australian states, boasting a combined output capacity of 360 megawatts (MW). These installations are set to commence supplying renewable electricity to the telecom behemoth, Telstra.

Last week, Naturgy, through its international subsidiary Global Power Generation (GPG), announced the inauguration of a significant 260 MW solar plant situated in Glenellen, New South Wales, alongside a 96 MW project located in Bundaberg, Queensland.

Details of the Glenellen Solar Farm

The Glenellen solar facility stands as Naturgy’s most substantial project in Australia to date, featuring 373,000 solar modules spread over an impressive 300 hectares, generating an estimated 450 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. This output is sufficient to power around 80,000 homes.

Remarkably, the Glenellen project is designed as an agrivoltaic system, integrating renewable energy production with agricultural practices, specifically livestock farming through sheep grazing.

Introducing the Bundaberg Solar Plant

Meanwhile, the Bundaberg solar plant marks Naturgy’s debut venture in Queensland, comprising over 162,000 modules capable of producing approximately 200 GWh of electricity each year—roughly equivalent to the energy needs of 36,000 homes.

Long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) have been established for the energy generated by both projects. This includes a significant arrangement with Telstra, which will acquire 50 per cent of the output from the Glenellen project, a deal finalised in September 2024.

Additionally, almost a year earlier, in December 2023, Telstra secured an agreement to acquire the majority of the energy produced by the Bundaberg facility.

Naturgy’s Expanding Capacity

With these new installations, Naturgy increases its operational capacity to 1.3 gigawatts (GW), while also progressing on another 500 MW of projects currently under construction. Furthermore, they have a pipeline of plans totalling 2 GW, focusing on developments in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland.