With construction of AGL Energy’s 102 MW Nyngan Solar Plant under way, Western New South Wales is well and truly on the map as a hub for renewable energy.

Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, was pleased to be able to attend the site for the installation of the first solar photovoltaic module today.

“There has been a significant investment by the Federal Government in renewable energy, including $166.7 million for the Broken Hill and Nyngan Solar Plants,” said Mr Coulton.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided more than $1 billion in funding towards renewable energy research and projects across Australia.

Mr Coulton said that the sizeable investment from the Federal Government had also attracted considerable co-investment from the private sector and State Governments.

“The nature of the climate at Nyngan makes it ideally situated for a large scale solar project. When finished the Nyngan Solar Plant is expected to produce approximately 233,000 megawatts of clean electricity each year.

“It has been necessary to support large scale solar projects, like this one at Nyngan, for the industry to develop and mature in Australia.

“The Nyngan project signifies a great step forward in renewable energy production for the region and for the state of New South Wales.”

Mr Coulton said that the Nyngan Solar Plant will also continue to provide a boost to local employment throughout the construction period and over the 30 year operational life span of the Plant.

“The installation of the first module today is a great milestone in the construction of the Plant.”