European Energy’s 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Project Secures Planning Approval in Queensland

European Energy has received planning approval from the Gladstone Regional Council for its 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm, clearing a key regulatory hurdle and enabling the fully contracted project to advance into final design, grid connection processes, and construction planning.

Construction of the Upper Calliope Solar Farm is targeted to begin in 2026. Once operational, the project is expected to become the largest solar facility in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). Located on a 2,700-hectare site approximately 50 kilometres southwest of Gladstone, the solar farm is projected to generate around 2.8 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to about 5% of Queensland’s current power demand.

Catriona McLeod, Vice President and Australia Manager at European Energy, said the council’s decision positions Upper Calliope as a permitted, large-scale renewable energy asset in a strategically important industrial energy region.

“With planning approval now in place, we can move ahead with the Upper Calliope project, one of the largest developments European Energy has undertaken to date,” McLeod said, adding that the project has now moved into the next phase of development.

With both planning approval and federal environmental approvals secured, the project has entered an advanced stage, with remaining milestones including grid connection finalisation, procurement activities, and final investment decisions.

The Upper Calliope Solar Farm is underpinned by a 25-year power purchase agreement with global mining and materials company Rio Tinto. Under the agreement, the project’s entire output is contracted to supply electricity to Rio Tinto’s industrial operations in Queensland, including aluminium smelting and alumina refining facilities in the Gladstone region.

Thorvald Spanggaard, Executive Vice President and head of project development at European Energy, said the long-term offtake agreement provides revenue certainty and strengthens the project’s commercial structure, while planning approval significantly reduces development and execution risk.

The Upper Calliope project forms part of European Energy’s expanding Australian development pipeline, which now exceeds 5 GW of renewable energy capacity. The company recently commissioned its first Australian photovoltaic project, the 58 MW Mokoan Solar Farm in Victoria, and has completed panel installation at the 106 MW Lancaster Solar Farm in northern Victoria, which is now progressing through final construction, commissioning, and testing stages.

In addition, construction is underway on the 31 MW Mulwala Solar Farm in New South Wales. Other projects in European Energy’s Australian pipeline include the 1 GW Sawpit and 500 MW Leichardt solar farms in Queensland, as well as the 100 MW Winton North solar project in Victoria.