The Burdekin Shire Council has approved the construction of a gigawatt-scale solar complex in Queensland, Australia, with an initial capacity of 300 MW. The project, known as the Cambridge Solar Farm, is being developed by the Australian division of alternative fund manager Cambridge RE Partners.
The approval, granted during the council meeting on October 8, comes with conditions that the project must adhere to the approved plans and comply with local planning requirements.
Located in the Upper Haughton rural locality, the first stage of the solar complex will involve the installation of a solar system with a direct current capacity of 400 MW. The development application, submitted in April, outlines plans for a 300-MW grid-connected solar farm, a substation, and associated infrastructure, along with provisions for an additional 765 MW of solar capacity to be connected to the grid in the future.
The entire solar complex will cover three allotments, encompassing a total area of 1,566 hectares. The estimated capital investment for the development is AUD 2.4 billion (USD 1.61 billion/EUR 1.47 billion), including the goods and services tax (GST).