Central Queensland Power seeks approval for 450 MW / 3.6 GWh solar + storage project in Australia

Central Queensland Power (CQP) has submitted its hybrid 450 MW solar and 450 MW / 3.6 GWh Wooderson Solar Development project to the federal environment protection and biodiversity conservation (EPBC) process.

A joint venture between Sydney-based large-scale renewable energy project developer Energy Estate and United Kingdom-headquartered clean energy company RES Australia, CQP says operations could start in the first quarter of 2031, subject to EPBC approval.

Construction of the proposed solar farm is expected to start in the first quarter of 2028, and will be located 40 kilometres southwest of Gladstone, and 543 kilometres north of Brisbane.

The approximately $2 billion (USD 1.4 billion) facility could supply the equivalent electricity used by around 235,000 houses and offset an estimated 870,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Wooderson will contribute to Central Queensland’s power supply via the proposed Calvale to Calliope River 275-kV transmission line.

Gladstone Regional Council is looking for alternative energy sources to replace the Gladstone coal-fired power plant, set to be phased out by 2028.

The project will also contribute to Queensland’s current renewable energy targets set out in the Queensland Energy Roadmap 2025 and achieving net zero by 2050.

From pv magazine Australia.