29 May 2014 – First Solar is looking for a supervisor, power plant maintenance for its new 250 hectare solar project currently under construction at Nyngan in western New South Wales. The position will involve managing the components of the site maintenance program during the construction phase, with the possibility of appointment to the plant manager role when the project is completed in June 2015.
Experience with power plant processes and maintenance, workplace health and safety, CMMS software, contractor and vendor management are among the skills required.
The utility-scale solar project is being constructed by First Solar for AGL, and comprises about 1.35 million advanced thin-film photovoltaic modules that are being manufactured in Australia. This is one the first utility-scale projects to receive funding from the Commonwealth Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The project is expected to generate 102 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power more than 33,000 average NSW homes. Construction started in January 2014, with more than 300 local construction jobs created and a significant boost given to the town of Nyngan’s predominantly agriculture-based economy.
“Each project that First Solar constructs builds acceptance of and confidence in utility-scale solar as an effective source of power generation in Australia,” Jack Curtis, First Solar’s vice president of business development for Asia Pacific said in a media statement in January.
“As the Nyngan project develops, we look forward to seeing its impact, not only in generating important local job opportunities, but also in strengthening the solar industry’s position within Australia’s energy mix.”
First Solar is also building a second utility-scale solar project for AGL at Broken Hill NSW, with construction due to commence in mid-2014.
See the full position description and application information for the Nyngan Supervisor job here.