Quorn Park Solar Hybrid Project

Client: Potentia Energy
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date: Aug 2024 – ongoing

Providing Independent Technical Advisor services to fulfil lenders’ requirements for financing during construction of a solar and battery hybrid project

Background

The Quorn Park Solar Hybrid Project is located approximately 10 km from Parkes in New South Wales (NSW). It combines a 98 MW solar farm with a 20 MW / 40 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) that will allow the project to store excess solar energy and deliver more reliable and stable clean energy to the grid.

Entura was approved by the project’s lenders as the independent technical advisor (ITA) for the construction phase of the project.

Services

As the Independent Technical Advisor, Entura is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the technical components of the project are independently verified and that progress is accurately reported.

Drawing on our experience of all aspects of solar energy and BESS projects, we are undertaking a range of monthly and quarterly tasks to verify project milestones and compliance with financial and contractual requirements to provide the project’s lenders with confidence in the use of the loan funds.

Monthly tasks include ‘Cost to Complete’ analysis and issuing milestone certificates. This requires verifying via documentation reviews and site visits that key components are being delivered and installed and that project milestones are being completed.

Our team prepares detailed quarterly reports regarding schedule, budget, power purchase agreement (PPA) obligations, and any contingencies that could impact project costs. We also report on aspects of risk management such as health and safety practices, community consultation and adherence to Equator Principles.

We provide ad-hoc advice to give lenders assurance that any changes to the project are necessary, appropriate and within the scope of the project budget.

On completion of the project, we will verify that all contractual and permit requirements have been satisfied and will issue the completion certificates needed to execute the loan.

Entura’s expert team, robust systems and efficient processes are ensuring that we can respond immediately to requests and provide fast turnarounds of documentation with a high level of accuracy. This enables contractors to be paid on time, which in turn keeps the project proceeding on schedule.

Outcome

Our impartial evaluation, rapid and clear reporting, and reliable technical advice is providing reassurance to the project’s lenders of the Quorn Park Solar Hybrid Project’s progress and its likelihood of a successful completion.

The project began construction in late 2024 and is expected to be fully operational in 2026.