Summary
This is the eighth project of FRV in Australia and the fourth major project we have in New South Wales.
The project signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Snowy Hydro in 2018 and will deliver significant benefits to the New England area and to the wider New South Wales community.
Construction of the plant is expected to start in 2021 and once operational, it will connect to the national grid and generate enough power to supply up to 40,000 Australian households. That’s over half of the 66,000 households in the region.
It will also avoid the emission of approximately 288,000 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to saving approximately 440,000 mega litres of clean drinking water each year.
With Metz Solar Farm we will reach a solar portfolio of approximately 650MW dc capacity in Australia.
In 2020, FRV completed the acquisition and financial close of the 140 MW dc Metz Solar Farm.
Overview
Community value
Metz Solar Farm will deliver significant benefits to the Armidale area and the wider community. This flows from the creation of direct jobs throughout each stage of the project’s life cycle. During the construction period FRV anticipates the creation of up to 150 jobs, and 2-3 operational staff for the life of the project. Site maintenance contracts will also be required and will be met by local businesses.