Fields Of Green Returning To Columboola
Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2022/12/12/fields-of-green-returning-to-columboola/
Author: David Waterworth
“Dulacca is one of a growing number of Australian renewables projects now owned by UK-based renewables giant Octopus, and has a long-term offtake deal with Queensland government-owned utility CleanCo.” The wind farm is the most recent in a string of renewable projects being built along the Warrego Highway, which runs from Toowoomba through to Charleville. It is part of the displacement of coal mining in the area. Crops can grow around wind turbines and sheep can graze around solar panels. That’s one nice benefit of the transition to clean energy.The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed a solar farm at Columboola between Miles and Chinchilla. “The commencement of operations (on Dec 1) at the new solar farm at Columboola is an exciting time for QUT because not only does this farm now produce energy needed by our campuses, it demonstrates QUT’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint,” Professor Margaret Sheil, QUT Vice-Chancellor, said. “The 165 MW solar farm located in Columboola, 335 km north-west of Brisbane, will reduce QUT annual carbon emissions (CO2e) by 20,000 tonnes. The Columboola Solar Farm will feature solar technology such as bifacial panels that absorb light from both the front and the back, and single axis trackers that follow the sun.”