Frontier Energy goes with solar-only option for expansion stage of Bristol Springs project
Frontier Energy is developing the large-scale Bristol Springs solar energy project in Western Australia’s South West.
Perth-based Frontier Energy (ASX: FHE) has announced results from a renewable expansion technical assessment for its flagship Bristol Springs solar project in Western Australia’s southwest region.
Completed by Xodus Group, the study assessed renewable energy solutions for the 8.46 square kilometres of flat land under Frontier’s control.
It concluded the optimal outcome is a solar-only solution which will generate a total energy yield of 945 gigawatts per hour per year from an aggregated nominal power of 438 megawatts installed.
The farm will use bifacial solar cells which will collect sunlight on the front and rear sides and is estimated to deliver a performance ratio of 86%.
It will position Frontier as one of the lowest cost producers of green hydrogen in Australia.
Wind farm concepts
Frontier considered a number of wind farm concepts over land parcels, carrying out early energy yield assessments for each.
The proposed wind farm configurations were aimed at supplementing solar farm concepts developed across the site, before optimising the split of the overall development between wind and solar for maximum energy yield and the lowest levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH).
As part of the study, Xodus conducted a wind resource analysis, performed wind flow modelling, generated proposed layouts, completed energy yield modelling and determined capital and operating expenditures.
It concluded that wind is not a competitive proposition based on a low wind resource, relatively high infrastructure costs and potential approval complexities associated with a nearby Ramsar-designated wetland area which will be utilised in addition to drawing energy from the grid.
The solar-only development option has been recommended for the project’s expansion stage.
Stage one study
The technical assessment followed a stage one hydrogen pre-feasibility study based on an initial 114MW solar farm which estimated production of approximately 4.4 million kilograms of green hydrogen per year at a low-cost estimate (inclusive of capital) of $2.83 per kilogram of hydrogen produced.
The assessment is expected to see a reduction in future capital and operating costs (in comparison to stage one) given existing infrastructure in place, shared facilities and increased economies of scale.
Frontier aims to generate in excess of 1GW of renewable energy as part of its green hydrogen strategy and is reviewing additional land opportunities in the region to help realise this goal.