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Shell confirms plans to build 120MW solar farm in Queensland
AUSTRALIA
ROYAL Dutch Shell is to build the 120MW Gan- garri solar plant in Queensland in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of its LNG export-orien- tated Queensland Curtis (QGC) onshore natural gas project.
Shell Australia said on February 7 that the development at Wandoan in central Queens- land would feature 400,000 photovolatic (PV) panels and would reduce CO2 emissions at the industrial site by an estimated 300,000 tonnes per year (tpy).
Shell said that it was its “first large-scale solar farm” in Australia. The project is located adja- cent to existing power infrastructure and on the site of QGC onshore natural gas project.
“We believe solar will play an increasing role in the global energy system, especially when partnered with a reliable energy source such as gas,” said Shell Australia chairman Tony Nunan.
The project involves Shell’s domestic energy marketing and trading business, Shell Energy Australia, signing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the solar farm.
Shell Energy Australia then plans to buy another 120 MW from the national grid to pro- vide QGC with consistent power supplies.
In 2019, Shell bought ERM Power, Australia’s second-biggest power retailer to businesses and industry, for $410mn and bought a major stake in solar developer ESCO Pacific to form Shell Energy Australia.
Shell’s investment in solar comes as it devel- ops a wider power business in Australia.
“Solar is one of the building blocks of Shell’s power strategy,” said Greg Joiner, vice-president for Shell Energy in Australia.
“We are increasingly incorporating renewa- ble energy into customer offers, as we have done here for QGC, by combining renewable energy with a firmed energy solution offering reliable supply, a fixed price and a cleaner, lower-emis- sion package.”
Shell has identified Australia as one of its core markets for “emerging power” and plans to spend $2-3bn per year until by 2025 on its global power strategy.™
Total buys into Adani’s Indian solar assets
INDIA
TOTAL has agreed to buy into Adani Group’s solar interests for $500mn, gaining access to 50% of the Indian company’s 2 GW of solar projects.
Total said that it would create a 50:50 joint venture company with Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), which currently owns 2,148 MW of solar capacity in India.
“This is a pivotal step in our journey towards building the world’s largest solar power company by 2025 and the world’s largest renewable power company by 2030,” Adani Group chairman Gau- tam Adani said.
Total is attracted to Adani’s asset by the 25-year fixed-price power purchase agreements (PPAs) with national and regional distributors on offer in India. Adani currently operates in 11 Indian states.
Total said that the deal had a value of approxi- mately $500mn and was in line with its objective of double-digit returns on renewable projects. It remains subject to the approval of the relevant authorities.
“This interest in over 2 GW of solar projects represents another big step of our investment in India’s energy sector. It will support our ambi- tion to contribute to the deployment of 25 GW of renewable capacities by 2025,” said Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
At the end of January 2020, India had 85.9 GW of renewables capacity, out of a national total of 368 GW, according to government fig- ures. New Delhi aims to have 225 GW of green capacity by 2022 as it accelerates both solar and wind developments in a bid to achieve 100% access to power.
Total currently runs 3 GW of renewable gen- erating capacity worldwide, while its low-carbon capacity, which includes gas-fired generation, stands at 7 GW. The company’s target of 25 GW of renewable capacity by 2025 was helped in January by an agreement with Doha to build the 800MW Al Kharsaah Solar PV IPP Project in Qatar. Total has a 49% in the project, together with Japan’s Marubeni (51%).™
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