Another big solar farm approved in Tasmania, on grazing land next to smelter

The island state of Tasmania currently has no large scale solar farms, but that could be about to change in quite a big way, with the third large scale facility sailing through local planning approvals.

The George Town council this week gave planning approval to the 288 MW Cimitiere Plains solar project, to be located on cattle and sheep grazing land, a short distance away from the big Bell Bay aluminium smelter.

The project, being developed by German-based ib vogt, is the third major solar project proposal for Tasmania, following the 288 MW Connorville solar project now under construction, and the 255 MW Weasel solar project and battery that earlier this week received a green tick from the federal environmental process.

IB Vogt says sheep grazing will be able to continue within the solar farm when it is operational.

“The grazing of sheep will continue within the solar farm once construction has been completed and will play an important role in keeping the pasture from growing too high,” the company says.

“While there has been limited research on the impacts of solar farms on agricultural productivity, it is expected that the percentage reduction in productivity will range from 0 to 30% (that is, at least 70% of productivity will be maintained).”

The project will need a short, 6 km transmission line to link it into the nearest substation, and this will go through about 5km of forest created as a buffer Zone to the Bell Bay aluminium smelter.

The project developers say the Cimitiere solar farm will produce around 620 GWh a year – a capacity factor of around 25 per cent. They say that will translate to around 6 per cent of the production required to meet Tasmania’s target of reaching 200 per cent renewables by 2040.

“Tasmania is in the very fortunate position that it has hydro-electric capacity to firm variable renewable energy sources,” its planning document says.

“Solar energy in Tasmania is complementary to the existing hydro generation as it produces most of its energy over the summer months when inflows into hydro catchments are typically low.

lb vogt has developed and constructed 7 solar farms in NSW and Victoria, including the Kerang, Carisbrook, Dunedoo, Sebastopol, Yanco, Wunghnu and the Williamsdale projects. Cimitiere Plains will be by far its biggest in Australia.