European Energy’s 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Project Secures Planning Approval in Queensland
- Özcan Berk Atakan
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
European Energy has received planning approval from the Gladstone Regional Council for its 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm, marking a major regulatory milestone for one of Australia’s largest renewable energy developments.
Located on a 2,700-hectare site around 50 km southwest of Gladstone, the project is expected to generate approximately 2.8 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to about 5% of Queensland’s current power demand. Once operational, Upper Calliope is set to become the largest solar facility in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM).
With both local planning and federal environmental approvals secured, the project has now entered an advanced development phase. Remaining steps include grid connection finalisation, procurement, and final investment decisions, with construction targeted to begin in 2026.
A key strength of the project is its 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with global mining and materials group Rio Tinto. Under the agreement, 100% of the project’s output will supply Rio Tinto’s industrial operations in Queensland, including aluminium smelting and alumina refining facilities in the Gladstone region, providing long-term revenue certainty and reducing execution risk.
Upper Calliope is part of European Energy’s rapidly expanding Australian pipeline, which now exceeds 5 GW. The company has already commissioned the 58 MW Mokoan Solar Farm in Victoria, is nearing completion at the 106 MW Lancaster Solar Farm, and is currently constructing the 31 MW Mulwala Solar Farm in New South Wales. Additional large-scale projects in Queensland and Victoria further underline European Energy’s long-term commitment to the Australian market.
This approval positions Upper Calliope as a strategically important asset for industrial decarbonisation in Queensland and highlights the growing role of long-term corporate PPAs in enabling gigawatt-scale solar investments.
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