It’s Guinness world records time, with the news that the world’s largest solar photovoltaic power station gong is set to pass to Australian state Victoria. The Aussies will be saying g’day to the development some time in 2009.

The record breaking power plant begin generation in 2010 and be fully completed by 2013.

As an aside, did you know that you can’t get into the Guiness Book of Records with acts of “gluttony” or “stupidity”? That rules out Greenbang on most counts alas, as she was going to going over the Niagara Falls in a barrel made of deep fried butterfly cakes which she would eat on the way over.

Back to the story. This megalith of photovoltaicism is the result of a deal struck between Aussie firm Solar Systems and energy company TRUenergy, apparently worth $290 million, with TRUenergy snaffling 20 percent ownership of Solar Systems.

More details from TRUenergy:

In addition, TRUenergy will contribute seven million dollars to the development of a two megawatt (MW) heliostat concentrated photovoltaic pilot plant, subsequently investing up to $285 million to build the remaining stages of the project, and adding to $129.5 million of Federal and Victorian Government funds already earmarked for the project.

Using high performance solar cells originally developed to power satellites, the $420 million full-sized photovoltaic solar plant will produce 154MW of electricity, enough clean energy to power 45,000 homes.[...]

TRUenergys parent company, CLP, which has operations in Hong Kong, China, India, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia, has also entered into a ten year joint Development Agreement with Solar Systems, to support the deployment of up to one gigawatt (GW) of concentrated photovoltaic technology across Asia Pacific Partnership countries.

Tags: Australia, grant, solar, solar systems, truenergy, victoria