The Lyon Group will build the world's biggest solar and battery storage project in South Australia, with operations to commence by the end of the year.
Lyon partner David Green said in a statement that construction of the $1 billion project would begin soon and employ 270 people.
He was speaking at the Riverland Solar Storage announcement in Adelaide along with South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill.
"Riverland Solar Storage's 330MW solar generation and 100MW battery storage system will be Australia’s biggest solar farm with 3.4 million solar panels and will also include 1.1 million batteries,” Green said.
{loadposition sam08}Lyon's previously announced Kingfisher Solar Storage project near Roxby Downs was also likely to start construction in 2017, he said. Riverland Solar Storage would be first, as land had been secured and the grid connection was further advanced.
“Our projects are 100% equity financed, technology and other commercial arrangements are in place, network capacity analysis and discussions with network owners are well advanced, and development consultation and approvals have commenced," Green said.
Riverland and Kingfisher would each have battery storage systems larger than any already operating around the world, he claimed.
“If the 4.7 million solar panels at Riverland and Kingfisher were placed end to end, they would reach from Adelaide to Brisbane and back, and then all the way to Melbourne.”
Lyon Group is a developer and principal investor in utility, commercial/industrial and residential scale solar and solar battery projects in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and India, and is soon to expand into South Korea and Indonesia.