European Energy A/S, a Danish renewables developer, has taken a significant step towards establishing a major presence in Australia's renewable energy sector. The company has applied for environmental approval to build a massive 1.1-GW/1.3-GWp solar park in Queensland, Australia.
The proposed Upper Calliope Solar Farm, located in Mount Alma within the Gladstone Regional Council area, aims to become the largest photovoltaic (PV) park in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
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The project's scale is impressive, with the capacity to generate approximately 2.8 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to 5% of Queensland's current electricity demand. This power output has already been contracted by mining giant Rio Tinto to supply its Gladstone aluminium operations.
European Energy A/S's application for environmental approval is under review by the federal government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, as revealed in official documents. If approved, construction of the solar park is expected to commence in 2025 or 2026.
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While the initial plan does not include a battery energy storage system (BESS), the developer has indicated that such a system could be incorporated in a future development stage.
