Nextracker™, a Flex company, announced that its solar tracker technology, NX Horizon has been chosen for Australia’s largest solar farm, a 460-megawatt installation in Queensland’s Western Downs. Independent power producer Neoen and the project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Sterling and Wilson selected Nextracker based on the company’s proven track record of delivering significant energy yield gains.
Installation of the trackers on Western Downs Green Power Hub is due to begin in 2021. 80 per cent of the project was contracted to CleanCo, a Queensland Government Owned Corporation (GOC) under one of the country’s most substantial power purchase agreements to date. The project will help CleanCo reach its target of one gigawatt of newly installed renewable energy by 2025 and further the state’s broader target of 50 per cent renewable electricity by 2030.
Maximising performance while minimising operational costs
“We’re honoured to be chosen by leading global companies, Neoen and Sterling and Wilson for this project. This power plant builds upon Nextracker’s existing portfolio of four gigawatts in Australia,” said Peter Wheale, managing director at Nextracker Australia & Oceania. “We have led the market by passionately delivering more customer value with best-in-class yield generation, client support and asset management technologies.”
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Serving as the backbone across 40 gigawatts of solar power plants around the world, the NX Horizon smart solar tracker system helps EPCs and asset owners to maximise performance and minimise operational costs. Increased yield is achieved on projects using bifacial modules mounted on Nextracker’s 120-degree range of motion NX Horizon tracker. This includes a self-powered, independent-row system design in combination with the company’s patented TrueCapture technology, which has been proven on over 80 projects globally.
Up to two per cent additional yield
In testing conducted at Nextracker’s Centre for Solar Excellence in Fremont, California and independently verified by PV Evolution Labs, NX Horizon delivered up to 1.0 – 2.0 per cent additional yield in bifacial applications compared to other traditional one-in-portrait trackers. In the case of Western Downs Green Power Hub, a gain of 1.5 per cent would deliver over 15 gigawatt-hours per year, or enough to power an additional 3,000 homes. (mfo)
