Amp Power Australia Pty Limited and EPS Energy announce the conclusion of a lease agreement with the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) for the strategically located Yoorndoo Ilga (388 MW) solar farm and 150 MW hybrid battery energy storage system located in Whyalla, South Australia.
Amp Power and BDAC generate 400 jobs
The lease agreement relates to land recently obtained by BDAC under the terms of an Aboriginal Land Use Agreement with the South Australian Government.
This followed the recognition of the Barngarla people as native title holders to large parts of the Upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula.
The 388 MW Yoorndoo Ilga Solar Farm (YIS) is one of three sites announced by Amp with the creation of the Renewable Energy Hub of South Australia (REHSA) in May 2021.
Once land has been secured, development and other approvals completed,
$500 million investment for the region
YIS will create up to 400 full-time equivalent jobs during construction.
Including the regional workforce.
It will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 100,000 homes each year.
Total investment in the Whyalla region of South Australia will thus exceed $500 million.
Implementation of Amp X
BDAC’s Board of Directors is overwhelmingly in favor of this agreement:
“This is a historic agreement and we look forward to seeing Amp develop these projects on our traditional lands, which we now own in terms of simple fees. We look forward to the benefits of this project for our members and the wider Whyalla community as a whole. Barngarla is proud to be part of the renewable energy revolution in Whyalla and couldn’t think of better partners than Amp and EPS to bring this project to fruition,” says BDAC.
“Amp recognizes the important history and culture of the Barngarla people as traditional owners of the land and sincerely appreciates the support and trust placed in Amp,” says Dean Cooper, Executive Vice President and Head of Amp Australia.
Amp’s expansion into Australia will include the implementation ofAmp X, a proprietary digital energy platform owned by Amp, which provides a disruptive and interoperable digital grid edge platform.
Amp X includes a virtual power plant capability powered by artificial intelligence, enabling real-time autonomous management and optimized distribution of battery energy storage assets across the grid.
