Australian wine company switches on industry’s largest solar farm

Australian family-owned wine company Casella Family Brands has switched on what it says is the largest solar facility in the Australian beverage sector, a 5.6MW solar farm in the Riverina district of New South Wales.

Casella Family Brands, known for wine brands including yellow tail and Peter Lehmann, among others, has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and is backing up its commitment with a multi-million-dollar investment in one of Australia’s largest solar power systems directly connected to a privately owned company.

The solar facility has been built on an 11-hectare plot around 3.5 kms from the winery on land owned by Casella Family Brands that was not suitable for agricultural purposes.

The solar farm consists of 8,730 solar panels and will be capable of generating 11.53GWh each year, and will provide 35 per cent of the electricity needs of the Yenda winery’s and the nearby brewery that produces beer under such brands as Yenda, Son of a Nun and Pressman’s Cider.

The 5.6MW solar farm was developed and constructed by Next Generation Electrical, which has also built a smaller solar farm at the Casella wastewater treatment plant. That solar farm boasts 936 solar panels and is capable of generating 890.47MWh each year, or about 30% of the facility’s electricity needs.

“I’m extremely proud to unveil our investment in clean electricity through our two new solar systems,” said John Casella, founder and managing director of Casella Family Brands.

“As well as reducing our footprint, we are making a direct contribution to the Australian wine industry’s GHG emissions reduction goals via the products we make and supply, as we all strive to ensure a sustainable global wine sector.”

The company plans to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050, and the electricity supply at Yenda accounts for 65 per cent of its emissions.

“As a family-owned business, we’re committed to playing a role in ensuring the resilience of the Australian wine industry for generations to come,” Cassela said.