Vena Energy has announced plans to build the Wandoan South Solar 2 facility in Queensland, marking a significant expansion of its Australian development clusters. This new project will add to Vena’s developing project portfolio. It has swelled to 732 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy projects.
When completed, the Wandoan South Solar 2 facility will produce approximately 700 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean, renewable energy annually. This renewable energy alone would be enough to power an extra 120,000 average Queensland households. This ambitious initiative will reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by an average of 568,000 tons per year. It will save an estimated 490 million litres of water per year compared to conventional thermal energy generation.
Facility will increase Vena Energy’s deployed battery storage to 340MW across Australia. At the moment, they have 600 megawatt hours (MWh) on the ground or in advanced stages of development. The facility will feature Queensland’s first utility-scale 150MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), completed in 2022, which will help stabilize the energy supply.
The project will incorporate the former 168MW Wandoan South Solar 1, which went live with commercial operations in 2024. Together, Wandoan South Solar 2 is expected to be operational by mid-2027.
The agreement Vena Energy signed already includes a long-term power purchase agreement with CleanCo, a Queensland-based government-owned corporation. This Queensland Government-sponsored enterprise is built around producing and selling low-emission energy. This partnership will ensure that the energy produced by the new solar facility is effectively utilized in the state’s energy market.
The construction phase of Wandoan South Solar 2 will create up to 400 jobs. This golden opportunity stands to enrich the lives of local residents and neighbouring First Nations communities. Vena Energy prides itself on its commitment to having a positive impact on local economies while making progress toward renewable energy goals.
Once built out, Wandoan South Solar 2 will play a key role in shaping Queensland’s energy future. It will significantly increase the state’s renewable generation capacity, energising the future for NSW, and contributing to Australia reaching net zero by 2050. said Owen Sela, Northeast policy lead for Vena Energy.
Tom Metcalfe, another spokesperson for the company, remarked, “With construction now getting underway, the solar farm will soon be delivering real benefits for the Western Downs and beyond.”
