Epuron Solar has commissioned an expansion of the Uterne Solar Plant in Alice Springs.
The plant, which was constructed for Epuron Solar by SunPower, will substantially increase the amount of cost-competitive, solar-generated electricity supplied to the local Alice Springs electricity network which is operated by the Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corporation. Standing behind this project is a long term power purchase agreement backed by Territory Generation and financing provided by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
The newly constructed expansion has increased the capacity of the Uterne Solar Plant from 1 megawatt to 4.1 megawatts. The additional capacity means Alice Springs now has one of the highest penetration levels of solar in the country.
"We are delighted to add the Uterne expansion to our growing portfolio of operational solar assets," said Martin Poole, Epuron Solar Executive Director. "Uterne is the largest solar farm in Australia with sun tracking technology which captures more energy consistently throughout the day."
"Power and Water Corporation is proud to have facilitated the development of solar projects in Alice Springs," said Trevor Horman, Manager of Sustainable Energy. "We have been a strong supporter of solar energy in the Northern Territory for over twenty years."
CEFC CEO Oliver Yates said: "It’s pleasing to be supporting a project that is so important for the future of Alice Springs, demonstrating the potential for regional Australian communities to benefit from clean, cost-effective, locally generated solar energy."
"Expanding Uterne demonstrates Epuron Solar’s commitment to deploying more clean energy in Australia. We’re pleased to continue supporting utilising SunPower’s high efficiency solar technology and 30 years of industry experience," said Jorg Heinemann, SunPower executive Vice President, Power Plants.