Australia to build largest solar power plant

Kalgoorlie is set to become the site of Australia biggest photovoltaic power plant.

Investec, an international banking and asset management group, plans to build a 50 megawatt solar PV plant at a site close to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to the north of Perth.

Investec said Kalgoorlie was an appropriate site because of its climate resources and proximity to the South West Interconnected System that supplies the southwest corner of the state with electricity.

Investec had been working on land tenure arrangements for the project for 18months, and that they were now looking to finalize these arrangements.

Investec hopes to obtain land tenure within the next few months before seeking power purchase agreements and obtaining project financing. The banking conglomerate expects construction to begin next year.