Genex Power has selected CIMIC Group company UGL as preferred engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for a 270MW solar farm project in North Queensland.
The solar power project is part of Genex’s Kidston Stage 2 project, an integrated solar and pumped hydro hybrid project.
The two companies have signed an exclusive early contractor involvement (ECI) agreement for the solar project.
Under the agreement, Genex and UGL will work together to speed up project development, complete final design optimisation and reduce cost through value engineering and risk workshops.
UGL managing director Jason Spears said: “UGL has a proven track record in the design and delivery of solar farms.
“Partnering with Genex to deliver the first Kidston solar project demonstrates UGL’s in-house engineering capability, innovative construction techniques, and ability to provide a fully wrapped EPC solution – all of which we will apply to the Kidston stage two solar project.”
UGL currently has five solar projects under construction that include Emu Downs in Western Australia, Kidston Stage One and Collinsville in Queensland, White Rock in New South Wales and Bannerton in Victoria.
In November, The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) had agreed to offer up to $5m in funding for Kidston Stage 2 project.
Genex Power is expecting to bring the project to financial close in 2018.
The Kidston Stage 2 project also include a 250MW pumped hydro project that is expected to produce about 783GWh of renewable electricity each year, which is enough to power 140,000 Australian households.
This project is located 270km north west of Townsville and will use two existing gold mining pits as the reservoirs for the project to minimise construction time and costs.
Image: The Kidston Stage 2 project also include a 250MW pumped hydro project. Photo: Courtesy of Neville Micallef/FreeImages.com.