The country’s largest utility-scale solar farm and biggest solar photovoltaic power project has commenced feeding energy into the State’s grid.

 

The 10-megawatt capacity Greenough River Solar Farm contains 150,000 solar photovoltaic panels covering 50 hectares of farmland about 50 kilometres south-east of Geraldton.

 

“The Liberal-National Government has done what no other jurisdiction in Australia has and, in the process, designed the new blueprint for how a major source of renewable solar energy can be farmed and distributed to the wider community and industry,” said State Energy Minister Peter Collier.

 

“The Government identified that the region has a significant solar resource that could be harnessed; there was future potential for expansion of the site; the local community would benefit significantly from the construction of the project, and that we could deliver a customer that would provide the demand for the capacity output to underwrite the project.

 

“About 25 local suppliers participated in the building of the Greenough River Solar Farm, including required security, catering and earthworks services. What is very satisfying is that this project was completed in about 12 months, on time and on budget.  

 

Energy produced by the farm is being purchased by the Water Corporation to help offset the energy requirement of its Southern Seawater Desalination Plant, near Binningup.

 

“As well as assisting the Water Corporation to achieve its environmental objectives associated with the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant, the solar farm is a major boost for WA’s renewable energy sector,” Mr Marmion said.

 

“The Greenough River Solar Farm is confirmation that solar energy has an important role in the future of renewable energy in WA."