Construction has begun on a $500m solar farm in Central Queensland, with power expected to flow from mid-2026.
Acciona’s Aldoga solar farm will be built on land owned by Economic Development Queensland (EDA) about 20km northwest of Gladstone.
It will boast 820,000 solar modules with the capacity to produce 480 megawatts of power, avoiding 930,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Construction of the solar farm will create $150 million in local procurement opportunities and deliver up to 350 jobs during construction and up to 10 ongoing full-time roles.
Acciona’s community benefits program will also provide $120,000 in annual funding to local initiatives including scholarships with Central Queensland University, small grants and legacy projects.
All the electricity produced at the Aldoga Solar Farm will be supplied to Stanwell Corporation’s proposed Central Queensland Hydrogen project (CQ-H2) under a Power Purchase Agreement.
The Queensland Government says CQ-H2 is the state’s largest renewable hydrogen project, which aims to deliver renewable hydrogen through different carriers to Japan and Singapore, as well as supplying large domestic customers in Central Queensland.
Steel manufacturer Orrcon, which recently opened a production line facility in Northgate, will manufacture the steel to be used in the construction of the solar farm.
