Worker dies after being trapped inside machinery

A worker has died after being trapped inside heavy machinery at the Bungala solar power plant the construction South Australia.

Emergency crews were called out to the solar far, located 10km outside of Port Augusta at 3.30pm on Saturday The Advertiser reported. 

Safework South Australia has declined to provide any further details about the incident however an investigation into the man’s death will be launched as soon as possible. 

The solar farm is expected to be one of the biggest in Australia upon its completion and will most likely be the first major one to participate in the frequency control and ancillary services market (FCAS Market).  

The ancillary services are used by the Australian Energy Market Operator to oversee the safe use of energy.

In 2017 project developer, Reach Energy, agreed to sell the solar farm to two of Europe’s biggest renewable energy investment companies, the Dutch Infrastructure Fund and Italy’s Enel Green Energy according to a report by Renew Economy. 

This is Enel Green Energy’s first project in Australia,  the company stating its interest in renewable energy investment in Australia.

The solar farm will be the biggest in Australia upon its completion and will create energy for up to 82,000 

Upon its completion its expected the solar farm will generate enough energy to power up to 82,000 homes with hundreds of of solar panels.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be $315 million and could create 350 jobs for the Port Augusta community. 

The project is expected to be complete and full operational by the middle to late part of 2018. 

The Bungala solar project with feature modular utility-sized battery storage systems which can be adapted to specific demands

Port Augusta is proving an ideal location for solar farms with an average 300 sunny days per year.

Construction is also expected to begin on a 150MW solar thermal power plant