Fotowatio Renewable Ventures’ (FRV) Australian platform announced on Tuesday that the 115 MW Metz Solar Farm in the New South Wales (NSW) Northern Tablelands region is now operating at full capacity, generating 320,000 MWh annually, enough clean energy to meet the demands of up to 40,000 households every year.
The project is underpinned by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Snowy Hydro, signed in 2018 as part of the Snowy Hydro Renewable Energy Procurement Program.
FRV Australia managing director Carlo Frigerio said the plant, built on a 248-hectare site near Armidale, has been generating clean energy since December 2021 and first sent power to the grid in March.
“We are delighted to see that Metz Solar Farm is working at its full capacity and generating clean energy,” he said.
“This is the fourth project that FRV has delivered in NSW and another key milestone for Australia’s energy transformation process ahead of the retirement of coal power stations in the coming years.”
Fady Jameel, the deputy president and vice chair of Abdul Latif Jameel said projects like Metz, which is underpinned by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Snowy Hydro, signed in 2018 as part of the Snowy Hydro Renewable Energy Procurement Program, serve as a strong example of the benefits of working together and combining skills and expertise towards greater climate resilience and economic development.
“Metz Solar Farm reaffirms our ongoing commitment to working with likeminded partners to deliver innovative solutions that will contribute towards the world’s renewable energy targets,” he said.
Image: FRV Australia
FRV Australia, owned by UAE-based Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and Canadian fund manager Omers Infrastructure, has established itself as one of Australia’s largest solar developers since its emergence in 2010.
The company said this week it has developed almost 800 MWdc of Australian PV across nine projects for a total project investment value of more than $1 billion.
The company’s Australian portfolio includes the 125 MW Lilyvale and 125 MW Clare solar farm in Queensland and the 106 MW Winton Solar Farm in Victoria. It also includes the 69.75 MW Goonumbla, the 56 MW Moree, and the 300 MW Walla Walla solar farms, all in NSW. It has also started work on a 5 MW solar-storage hybrid power plant near Dalby in southern Queensland. The Dalby Hybrid Power Plant will comprise 2.4 MW of solar PV capacity and a 2.5 MW/5 MWh battery, making it the first battery energy storage system FRV has developed in Australia.
The company also owns the 90 MW Sebastopol Solar Farm, which earlier this year began sending power to the grid in NSW.
It has also turned its focus to New Zealand, announcing late last year that it intends to develop 500 MW of solar energy across the North and South islands.
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