Global power company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) is pleased to announce with its consortium partners BP Solar and Pacific Hydro that it has won an Australian Government tender to build and operate Australia’s first large-scale solar power station.

The 150 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) facility will be located in the New South Wales Tablelands near the regional town of Moree and will be known as the Moree Solar Farm.

FRV is an independent power company based in Madrid that specialises, in solar power generation with installed capacity and projects under development across the United States and Europe.

FRV CEO Rafael Benjumea said FRV “the consortium’s majority equity stakeholder — was delighted to be a part of this landmark solar project.”

“The Moree Solar Farm is a very exciting project for FRV and provides a platform for FRV to expand in Australia,” Mr Benjumea said.

“Australia has enormous and largely untapped potential as a major solar power producer so we see our investment in Australia as a long-term commitment.”

“I would like to thank the Federal Government and NSW Government for supporting this project and we look forward to working with government and the local community to build a strong and viable solar industry that will deliver clean energy to Australian homes and create new jobs”.

The Moree Solar Farm is part of the Federal Government’s Solar Flagship Program which has committed USD 1.5 billion to support the construction and operation of solar power stations around Australia.

The project, the first solar large scale power station to be built in Australia, will also be one of the largest solar facilities in the World. FRV has been awarded the contract against stiff international competition of more than 50 Consortiums worldwide.

Construction of the plant is due to begin in 2012 with electricity produced to be sold into Australia’s National Electricity Market.

Once completed, the Moree Solar farm will comprise around 650,000 PV panels and generate enough electricity to fully power approximately 45,000 homes (roughly the size of Darwin).

The farm will also deliver significant benefits to the local economy including job creation during the four-year construction phase.

About the Consortium:

The Moree Solar Farm will be built, owned and operated by a consortium comprising three partners with complementary skills: FRV, BP Solar and Pacific Hydro.

FRV is the majority shareholder of the project and brings expertise in developing and operating large-scale solar PV projects and assets around the world. Widely regarded as a pioneer in the solar PV business, FRV has 241 MW of solar PV plants in operation or construction and a pipeline of more than 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar generation assets under development.

BP Solar is the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor for the Moree Solar Farm and will retain a minority stake in the shareholding of the project. BP Solar has been in the solar business for over 30 years and has extensive experience in ground-based solar installations across the globe.

Pacific Hydro is recognized as one of Australia’s leading renewable energy businesses with a strong track record of commercializing renewable energy projects in Australia and building strong community engagement and support.

Collectively, the consortium has developed and/or built some 1GW of renewable energy assets.