PHOTO: $1.5billion solar farm project in Queensland. Power Tech
A cattle farmer in the Gladstone region of central-eastern Queensland, Greg Bennett, is deeply concerned about the impact of a massive 2,700-hectare solar farm being constructed near his home, situated just 70 kilometers away from the Great Barrier Reef.
Mr. Bennett’s property will soon be surrounded by a sprawling 9-kilometer expanse of solar panels, as part of the $1.5 billion Pacific Solar Hydrogen Project initiated by European Energy. This European company acquired a majority stake in the Queensland-based Austrom in December last year, with plans to establish four renewable sites across the Callide and Gladstone regions, encompassing a total of 6,000 hectares.
Solar panels covering 6,000 hectares are set to be built across central Queensland as part of a $1.5billion project (stock image)
Of particular concern to Mr. Bennett is one of the sites, which will be located just 500 meters from his family’s residence. He has expressed dismay at the prospect of two million solar panels, equivalent to the size of 4,000 football fields, being installed next to his property, making it the largest solar farm in Australia.
Mr. Bennett finds it difficult to fathom that such a development has been approved in Australia and feels that his objections have been disregarded, as the project is set to commence next year and continue for an additional two years.
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Adding to his distress, Mr. Bennett anticipates that the value of his home will plummet by 30 percent due to the solar farm’s proximity. He laments the impact on his family, the local community, and the picturesque valley they call home, especially when the solar farm is so close to the environmentally sensitive Great Barrier Reef.
While Mr. Bennett clarifies that he is not against solar farms in principle, he emphasizes the importance of placing them in suitable locations. He points to the plight of a neighbor who is also affected and acknowledges the challenges he and his wife are facing.
Mr. Bennett highlights that he has received no compensation for the solar farm’s construction and feels that they are mere casualties in the race toward achieving net-zero emissions. His family will endure the construction noise for two long years.
Greg Bennett, who owns a property in the Gladstone region, in central-eastern Queensland , will soon have to drive through 9kilometres of solar panels just to get to his front door (stock image)
He calls for solar projects to be developed in appropriate locations, expressing his desire to support green initiatives but with consideration for the local communities impacted.
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The Pacific Solar Hydrogen Project, expected to generate over 100,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, is regarded as one of the world’s largest undertakings of its kind, with the goal of realizing it by 2026, supported by the enthusiasm of local authorities in Australia for transitioning to green energy and becoming a key exporter of future fuels, as stated by Thorvald Spanggaard, European Energy’s Executive Vice President, when the project was announced in December last year.