US-based NEXTracker, a Flex company, has been selected by EPC contractor Decmil to supply its smart solar tracker, NX Horizon, for the Sunraysia Solar Farm in Balranald, New South Wales, Australia.
Image: NX Horizon smart solar tracker on Australian solar farm, 2018. Photo courtesy of NEXTracker.
The Sunraysia Solar Farm is jointly owned and operated by John Laing and Maoneng Australia and managed by Maoneng Australia.
This will be the second NEXTracker system in its portfolio after the Mugga Lane solar park in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The Sunraysia Solar Farm will supply power to AGL (Australia Gas and Light) Energy through a 15-year contract.
One of the largest solar farms in Australia, the Sunraysia facility is among the first projects structured with long-term offtake to an end user.
The project location has been selected to bring renewable electricity generation closer to major centers such as Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
The Sunraysia Solar Farm aims to contribute to meet Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET). The RET goal for large utility-scale solar and wind is to generate 33,000GWh of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020, representing 23.5% of Australia’s electricity generation.
With sealed mechanical and electrical components operating at one meter above the ground, NX Horizon has been designed to withstand desert environments and harsh wind speeds.
Signature independent rows, high-slope tolerance and rapid assembly features of NX Horizon minimize construction risk and accelerate project schedules.
NX Horizon is certified to UL 2703 and UL 3703 standards, and it can also be augmented with TrueCapture control software to enhance energy yield.
It can also be paired with Digital O&M services to carry out real-time analytics, monitor performance, and for predictive maintenance.
NEXTracker CEO Dan Shugar said: “NEXTracker is honored to be selected by Decmil to supply 255 megawatts of our smart solar tracker, and to one of the first projects in Australia structured with a long-term offtaker as the end-user.”
The University of New South Wales in Sydney has entered into a contract with Sunraysia Solar Farm as part of the university’s plan to reach carbon neutrality on energy by 2020.
Around 400 people are expected to be employed at the height of construction.
Decmil managing director and group CEO Scott Criddle said: “Decmil is looking forward to partnering with NEXTracker on the Sunraysia Solar Farm project. They offer significant experience in delivering smart technology for the renewables sector.”