Solar River Project

Country| Australia
Location| north of Robertstown, South Australia
Coordinates| 33°47′S 139°23′E﻿ / ﻿33.78°S 139.38°E﻿ / -33.78; 139.38
Status| Proposed
Construction began| Mid-2022 (proposed)
Construction cost| A$450 million
Solar farm
Type| Flat-panel PV
Collectors| 628,000 (stage 1)
Site area| 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity| 200 MW (stage 1)
200 MW (stage 2)
Storage capacity| 120 MW·h (stage 1)
150 MW·h (stage 2)

[edit on Wikidata]

Solar River Project is a proposed photovoltaic power station planned to be built near Robertstown in South Australia.[1] The project received development approval from the Government of South Australia in June 2018 and was expected to start construction early in 2019.[2] However, as of November 2021[update], the project was still proposed to be constructed, but work on site was not expected until at least the second half of 2022.[3]

The company developing it is based at the University of Adelaide's venture incubator, ThincLab.[4] The project has the support of the Ngadjuri people and the Regional Council of Goyder.[citation needed]

Stage 1 includes 200 MW of solar photovoltaic electricity generation and a 120 MW·h lithium ion battery system and was proposed to start construction early in 2019, generating its first generation before the end of the same year. Stage 1 will consist of one hundred single-axis tracker arrays each generating 2 MW and approximately 310 by 180 metres (1,020 by 590 ft)[5] for a total area of 3,200 by 1,800 metres (10,500 by 5,900 ft). Stage 2 is proposed to provide another 200 MW of generation and a 150 MW·h battery.[5]

The land is north of Goyder's Line and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the Goyder Highway on crown land unsuitable for cropping due to the low rainfall.[6]

Downer Group was engaged in January 2019 for early contractor involvement, with construction expected to commence in July 2019 and stage 1 to take two years to build. The project had provision for three more stages, depending on market and network conditions.[7] In July, the project's website said that construction would start in the fourth quarter of 2019.[8] By November 2019, this had slipped to the first quarter of 2020.[9]

Alinta Energy had committed to buy 75% of the solar farm's output for 15 years,[10][11] however that contract expired due to delays in the project caused by issues such as the withdrawal of Downer Group as EPC contractor.[12]

The grid-connected battery will be supplied by GE Renewable Energy. It is expected to be 100MW/300MWh, larger than any grid-connected batteries in the world at the time of its announcement in 2019.[13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ May, Jason (4 December 2017). "Solar River Project Development Application" (PDF). Application on notification – Crown Development. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
2. ^ Evans, Richard (25 June 2018). "Groundbreaking Solar River Project to slash the cost of renewable energy to 90,000 SA homes". The Advertiser. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
3. ^ Zerner, Mel (26 November 2021). "Renewables Projects Update Report". What's Happening in Goyder. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
4. ^ "Reliable renewable energy is possible with The Solar River Project". University of Adelaide. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
5. ^ a b Bloch, Michael (26 June 2018). "Massive Solar + Storage Facility For South Australia To Proceed". Solar Quotes Blog. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
6. ^ "Major PV solar farm approved in outback South Australia". The LEAD. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
7. ^ Etheridge, Michelle (28 January 2019). "Major milestone for Solar River renewable energy project in SA's Mid North". The Advertiser. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
8. ^ "The Solar River Project". Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019. "Project Construction Start Date Q4 2019"`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
9. ^ "The Solar River Project". Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019. "Project Construction Start Date Q1 2020"
10. ^ Vorrath, Sophie (18 July 2019). "Alinta signs up for huge solar and battery project in South Australia". Renew Economy. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
11. ^ Russell, Chris (17 July 2019). "Solar River project at Robertstown to sell power to Alinta Energy". The Advertiser. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
12. ^ Parkinson, Giles (4 September 2020). "Solar River solar and battery project still confident, despite loss of Alinta contract". Renew Economy. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
13. ^ Vorrath, Sophie (19 September 2019). "GE to supply world's biggest battery for South Australia Solar River project". Renew Economy. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

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Energy in South Australia

Coal|

| Closed|

* Playford A
* Playford B
* Northern

|

Gas or diesel|

| Proposed|

* Reeves Plains

|

Under construction|

* Bolivar

Operating|

* Angaston
* Barker Inlet
* Dry Creek
* Hallett
* Kangaroo Island
* Ladbroke Grove
* Lonsdale
* Mintaro
* Osborne
* Pelican Point
* Port Lincoln
* Port Stanvac
* Quarantine
* Snuggery
* Torrens Island
* Snapper Point

Closed|

* Temporary Generation North
* Temporary Generation South

Solar|

| Proposed|

* Coober Pedy (off-grid)
* Aurora (cancelled)
* Cultana
* Riverland (cancelled)
* Solar River

|

Operating|

* Bungala
* Morgan Whyalla pipeline
* Port Augusta
* Sundrop Farms (off-grid)
* Tailem Bend

Closed|

* Solar Systems, Umuwa

Wind|

| Under construction|

* Goyder South

|

Operating|

* Canunda
* Cathedral Rocks
* Clements Gap
* Hallett
* Brown Hill
* Hallett Hill
* North Brown Hill
* The Bluff
* Hornsdale
* Lake Bonney
* Lincoln Gap
* Mt Millar
* Port Augusta
* Snowtown
* Starfish Hill
* Waterloo
* Wattle Point
* Willogoleche
* List of wind farms in SA

Hydro|

Terminal Storage Mini Hydro

Storage|

* Hornsdale Power Reserve
* Dalrymple ESCRI battery
* Lake Bonney BESS
* Adelaide Desalination
* Tailem Bend 2
* Torrens Island BESS

Companies|

* Adelaide Electric Supply Company
* ElectraNet
* Electricity Trust of South Australia
* SAGASCO
* SA Power Networks
* Santos

Interconnectors|

* Heywood interconnector
* Murraylink
* Project EnergyConnect

Other|

* Australian Energy Market Operator
* Electricity Supply Industry Planning Council
* Essential Services Commission of South Australia
* 2016 South Australian blackout

List of power stations in South Australia

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Solar power stations in Australia

New South Wales|

* Beryl
* Bomen
* Broken Hill
* Coleambally
* Darlington Point
* Finley
* Griffith
* Gullen Range
* Limondale
* Manildra
* Moree
* Nevertire
* Nyngan
* Parkes
* Sunraysia
* White Cliffs (1982–2004)
* White Rock

Queensland|

* Barcaldine
* Childers
* Clare
* Clermont
* Cloncurry (cancelled)
* Collinsville
* Darling Downs
* Daydream
* Dunblane
* Emerald
* Hamilton
* Haughton
* Hayman
* Hughenden
* Kennedy
* Kidston
* Lakeland
* Lilyvale
* Longreach
* Lower Wonga
* Oakey
* Ross River
* Rugby Run
* Sun Metals
* Susan River
* Sunshine Coast
* Whitsunday
* Windorah (off-grid)

South Australia|

* Aurora (cancelled)
* Bungala
* Coober Pedy (off grid)
* Morgan Whyalla pipeline
* Riverland Solar Storage (cancelled)
* Solar River Project
* Sundrop Farms
* Tailem Bend

Victoria|

* Bannerton
* Gannawarra
* Karadoc
* Kiamal
* Mildura (cancelled)
* Numurkah
* Wemen

Western Australia|

* Emu Downs
* Greenough

Australian Capital Territory|

* Mount Majura
* Mugga Lane
* Royalla
* Williamsdale

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