Tailem Bend solar farm’s second stage is finished

South Australia’s second-biggest solar power plant has been switched on at Tailem Bend.

Engineering company UGL announced on Friday that it had completed stage two of the Tailem Bend solar farm, increasing its energy production capacity from 95 to 180 megawatts.

More than 600,000 solar panels have now been planted in paddocks southeast of the town – enough to power tens of thousands of homes.

The project will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by hundreds of thousands of tons per year, making a difference in the fight to slow down climate change.

Project manager David Thomas said working on the solar farm had been the highlight of his career.

“The team bonded well and produced an amazing project that we’re all proud of,” he said.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to see all our hard work come to fruition.”

At the height of stage two’s construction, UGL employed 96 workers at the site.

Six will remain there to maintain it.

A battery bank, capable of storing some of the energy generated by the solar farm, is still being built nearby, so that the operators can sell power when prices are high and store it when prices are low.

The first stage of the Tailem Bend solar project, worth $200 million, was completed in 2019.

Construction of stage two started last year.

Power from the project will be sold to customers across the national grid through retailer Lumo Energy.

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