Jacana Energy has announced that it is accepting submissions from proponents interested in taking part in the development of up to 100MW of large-scale solar for the Darwin-Katherine region.
The expression of interest (EOI) is available on the Northern Territory Government tenders online website. Submissions for the non-binding EOI process will close on 26 September 2023.
Jacana Energy held an industry briefing on the EOI process on 17 August 2023. A recording of this briefing, along with the slide presentation, is available on the Jacana Energy website.
Jacana Energy said that a key point of difference with this EOI is that it is asking proponents to consider connecting at specific locations within the greater Darwin area that are consistent with the location of the Northern Territory Government’s Renewable Energy Hub.
The EOI is the first step of a comprehensive assessment into procuring more large-scale solar closer to Darwin, which could contribute up to 15 per cent to the Northern Territory Government’s renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030.
If the procurement process is successful, it could attract up to $200 million additional investment in the Territory and create an additional 150 jobs during the construction phase.
Jacana Energy CEO, Louisa Kinnear, said that there has already been significant interest in the EOI from the renewables industry and Jacana is looking forward to the proposals put forward over the coming weeks.
“We know our customers want clean, affordable energy. As the Territory’s largest energy retailer, it is incumbent on us to be leading smart energy solutions and our EOI process is a great example of this.”