ACEN Inks EPC Deal For Aussie Solar Farm

ACEN Corp. said its subsidiary had chosen PCL Construction as its engineering, procurement and construction contractor (EPC) for the development of its 520-megawatt direct current (MWdc) Stubbo solar farm in Australia.

Photo Insert: A PCL Construction solar farm installation

“PCL has been engaged to deliver all aspects of the solar project and is responsible for the detailed design, engineering and procurement of Stubbo solar,” ACEN said in a media release on Tuesday, adding that the contractor will also handle the operation and maintenance services of the solar farm for two years.

ACEN said the construction of the Stubbo solar farm started after it issued a notice to proceed to PCL, which means all contracts for the project are in place. It described PCL as a diversified construction company involved in solar energy solutions in Australia, the United States and Canada.

ACEN quoted Gopi Govindraj, country manager of PCL, as saying, “We look forward to designing and building this important solar project for ACEN Australia.”

Sech Zabaleta, chief development officer at ACEN, said that the Stubbo solar farm is part of the Ayala-led company’s renewable energy expansion where it targets to reach 20 gigawatts of installed renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2030.

The solar farm project is located in Stubbo, New South Wales. It will connect the existing 330-kiloVolt (kV) network between Wollar and Wellington.

The project is expected to power up to 185,000 households. It includes a provision for a 200-megawatt-hours (MWh) battery energy storage system, which will allow the solar farm “to dispatch energy when it is most needed during peak hours and provide important grid stability services.”

In a separate press release, ACEN said it executed on Dec. 9 a P10-billion loan facility agreement with BDO Unibank, Inc.

ACEN also said it signed a deal for the acquisition of subscription rights in Sinocalan Solar Power Corp. (SSPC), the developer of a 60-megawatt-peak solar power plant in Pangasinan.

The renewable energy company said it signed a deed of assignment with Sungrow Power Renewables Corp. to acquire subscription rights to be issued in the increased authorized capital stocks of SSPC.

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