Downer EDI has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, valued at around A$150m ($113m), from First Solar to develop the Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Once completed, the 87MW Beryl Solar Farm will be equipped with First Solar’s Series 6 thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules.
The farm, which will feature 260,000 solar modules, will produce power to cater to around 25,000 average NSW homes, thereby reducing more than 167,000t of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which is equal to taking about 45,000 cars off the road.
Downer EDI expects to complete the construction of the farm within a period of around 12 months.
The Beryl Solar Farm will not use water to generate electricity and will not produce any waste.
Downer EDI CEO Grant Fenn said: “Large scale projects are critical to our regional communities and we are looking forward to partnering with First Solar to deliver the Beryl Solar Farm that will see significant economic and environmental benefits in regional New South Wales.
“This includes direct and indirect job creation, support for local businesses, and the development of skills in a growing renewable sector.”
According to First Solar, Beryl Solar Farm will create nearly 150 jobs during construction phase.
The farm will also help Australia achieve its effort of drawing 23.5% of energy from renewable resources by 2020.
