Planning approval has been granted for a 300MW solar farms near Gladstone in Queensland.

The Rodds Bay Solar Farm, located about 50km south of the major coal centre of Gladstone, should be fully operational in the first quarter of 2020.

The project was put forth by local firm Renew Estate, whose director Simon Currie says Gladstone could become the “energy capital” of Queensland, due to several emerging solar projects in the pipeline.

“At its peak, a solar farm of this size requires about 300 workers on site,” he said in a statement.

“We will collaborate with local training organisations to ensure local job-seekers have the skills needed to construct and operate a solar farm, and we will prioritise the employment of locals in enduring roles once the project is operational.

“More generation and competition mean lower power prices and Renew Estate looks forward to delivering the cheap solar energy produced by this project to consumers and businesses in the greater Gladstone area.”

Germany’s WIRSOL Energy is a major shareholder in Renew Estate.

WIRSOL is involved in what it says is the largest portfolio of solar PV projects in the country, including the Ganawarra and Wemen solar farms in Victoria, the Clement, Hamilton, Whitsunday and Yarwun solar projects in Queensland, and the Springdale and Bomen solar projects in NSW.

“We are committed to Queensland and have over 200MW in operation and construction already in the state,” WIRSOL managing director Mark Hogan said in a statement.

“This is an exciting time for the solar industry in Australia and Rodds Bay will help us quickly reach our target of 1GW in Australia.”