Quinbrook begins planning journey for the first of two solar projects worth up to 500 MW, which will be key to power Australia's big push into the global PV supply chain.
Investment firm Quinbrook is advancing the initial phase of a major solar initiative in north Queensland designed to supply renewable energy to a specialized manufacturing campus. The project forms part of a broader effort to participate in a solar photovoltaic supply chain currently led by China.
The developer has submitted an application under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for the 150-megawatt Lansdown Solar West component. A larger portion, up to 400 megawatts, is designated for the northern section of the development.
According to the federal referral, the proposed action will deliver renewable electricity to the Northern Quartz Campus situated within the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct. The facility aims to convert quartz mined in Queensland into high-purity silicon utilized for semiconductors and solar panels.
Located roughly 40 kilometers south of Townsville, the industrial site is being assembled by Quinbrook through its development division, Private Energy Partners (PEP). The manufacturing complex incorporates a metallurgical silicon factory and a biochar plant fueled by wood to supply necessary carbon.
Excess electricity generated by the solar installations is intended to be stored in the 780-megawatt, eight-hour Supernode North battery, which received EPBC approval in March. Furthermore, Quinbrook plans to install additional battery storage capacity of up to 250 megawatts with eight hours of duration at each individual solar project site.
The Northern Quartz Campus is situated north of the connection point where the 330-kilovolt CopperStrong transmission line links to an existing 275-kilovolt line running toward Townsville. Separately, Quinbrook is developing the 780-megawatt Supernode South battery in Brisbane to back a co-located data center.
The 535-hectare site designated for the initial solar phase is currently utilized for cattle grazing and features significant areas affected by non-native plant infestations alongside cleared land. Environmental assessments identified remnant and regrowth vegetation corridors along local watercourses, including Four Mile Creek and Lansdowne Creek, while the disturbance footprint was adjusted to avoid matters of national environmental significance.
Initial desktop evaluations identified 41 threatened flora and fauna species potentially inhabiting the region. Following five subsequent surveys, Private Energy Partners confirmed six species present on the property: the koala, masked owl, bare-rumped sheath-tailed bat, squatter pigeon, and the migratory eastern osprey and fork-tailed swift. The EPBC filing also noted the presence of various pest species on the land, including feral pigs, feral cats, and cane toads.
Originally reported by Renew Economy on Jul 26, 2026.
