RCR secures $155m contract for Townsville Solar Farm

RCR Tomlinson have recently announced their contact award worth of $155 million to engineer, procure and construct a utility-scale solar farm for Sun Metals Corporation in Townsville, Queensland.  In a company statement, RCR said their scope of work includes "engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the complete solar power station including the building of access tracks, civil, structural and electrical construction. Work includes the installation of over 1 million photovoltaic solar panels on fixed mounting structures across the site. RCR will also provide a 33kV overhead transmission line from the solar farm to the existing substation." 

Known as the "Sun Metals Solar Farm", the 98.5MW capacity farm project will commence immediately with onsite construction set to begin in April 2017 (and end in Q1, 2018). 

Sun Metals, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc Company Limited, produces 10 per cent of the world’s zinc from plants in Korea, the USA and Australia.

Image courtesy of Sun Metals

“We are very pleased to have been selected by Sun Metals to deliver this significant solar project at their zinc operations in Northern Queensland,” RCR Managing Director & CEO, Dr Paul Dalgleish said. 

“Once competed, this Solar Farm will be one of the largest Solar Farms in Australia and will create around 250 jobs during peak construction.”

“The award of this project reflects RCR’s position as a leader in EPC delivery of large-scale solar farms and follows our successful completion of the 53MW Broken Hill Solar Plant,” said Dr Dalgleish. 

“We look forward to delivering this significant project for Sun Metals and working with the local community in Townsville.”

RCR has already been named the preferred contractor on a few different renewable energy projects across Australia, with signed contracts expected in the near-term. Check out more of RCR's recent contract awards here: RCR awarded 170m in new contracts across Australia. 

Townsville is becoming an increasingly popular destination for large-scale solar projects, with Townsville City Council also approving a development application in mid-2016 for a $250 million solar farm to be constructed in the Upper Ross district. 

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Source: RCR Tomlinson, Energy Matters