Work is beginning on an exciting new solar power plant in South Australia.

It will be Australia’s first ever floating solar array, built on top of a wastewater treatment facility in Jamestown in the state's mid north..

The company behind the project, Infratech Industries, says it will become a showpiece for export around the world.

Much of the plant will be built offsite and slotted together at the Jamestown facility.

The floating design has a number of advantages.

The solar panels will be kept cool by the water mass beneath them, which engineers say makes it about 57 per cent more efficient than land-based solar panels.

It also prevents water evaporation by covering about 90 per cent of the water surface are.

It prevents the outbreak of blue-green algae too, by keeping the surface water cool.

The South Australian plant will power the wastewater treatment facility beneath it, and the excess energy should flow-on to the township of Jamestown.

Infratech spokesperson Felicia Whiting it has caught the interest of several local government regions.

“We have other councils waiting to have a look at this and see how it might be adapted to a water basin or a community wastewater management scheme,” she said.