Prominent South Australian local and state government representatives met with SSE Australia team members at the site of the new Whyalla $100 million solar power plant on 14 December 2016, to officially mark the start of the plant.
It was a huge day for SSE and for the town of Whyalla. According to local Mayor Lyn Brauer “this solar farm will be wonderful for Whyalla, this is really part of a new future for us, the steel industry is still a vital part of our lives but this is the first step into a new industry.”
Whyalla was specifically chosen because it has huge solar reserves and around ‘300 days a year of bright sun’ explains Employment Minister Kyam Maher.
“Some of the ambitions that SSE and their project partners have in terms of storage fits in exceptionally well with what we're trying to do in South Australia – we have a target for 50 per cent renewable energy use in this state.
“The future plans SSE have for storage here in Whyalla are very important, we know we have great resources for renewable energy in SA, and storage is another part of the jigsaw for the energy sector,” explains Mr Maher.
We are excited to see this next phase of the Whyalla solar farm commence and look forward to bringing you further updates.
Story adapted from Louis Mayfield’s original article in the Whyalla News Bright Start for Solar Farm