Stanwell advances renewables strategy with first solar O&M deal – pv magazine Australia

August 4, 2024 Eva Foley

Stanwell Corporation subsidiary Stanwell Asset Maintenance Company (Samco) has signed its first solar O&M contract, a five-year agreement for the Collinsville Solar Farm, owned by Thai developer Ratch-Australia.

Samco will provide O&M services for the 42.5 MW facility located in Central Queensland, adjacent to the closed Collinsville coal-fired power station.

Samco began operations in late 2023 with the goal of providing maintenance and asset management services for all renewable energy assets, as well as creating new renewable energy training and employment opportunities for its employees as the state’s energy sector transitions toward 80 percent renewable energy by 2035.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said working with renewable energy companies like Ratch-Australia was critical to building its renewable energy services capabilities and delivering on the company’s strategy to provide employees with pathways into the future of employment.

“It also supports the Queensland Government’s Energy and Jobs Plan and the Job Security Guarantee,” O’Rourke said.

“Stanwell has one of the most reliable and secure generation portfolios in the country and our highly skilled team looks forward to leveraging our proven systems and skills to support Samco in delivering world-class asset maintenance services to our partners and our own growing portfolio of renewable energy projects.”

The Ratch-Australia contract will also provide a range of renewable energy work experience opportunities through the Stanwell Pathways Program, as well as subcontracting opportunities for local small businesses.

Mr O’Rourke said one of Samco’s key aims was to create future pathways for the energy sector workforce in Queensland and the pathways program would provide Stanwell people with the opportunity to utilise the skills they have gained working in complex thermal power plants in renewable technologies.

Samco employees will manage the operations of the Collinsville Solar Farm, scheduled inspections, maintenance and repairs of all 180,000 panels, inverters and high-voltage systems, routine cleaning of panels to maximize electricity generation, grass and weed control on and around the facility, and maintenance of firebreaks around the facility.

Stanwell has a number of renewable energy and energy storage projects under development across Queensland, with a portfolio of over 3,000MW of renewable energy under contract, under construction or in development.

The company is driving the development of Queensland’s hydrogen industry and other emerging technologies, including a $117 million Front End Engineering (FEED) study to build Australia’s largest renewable hydrogen export centre in Gladstone.

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