New 130MW solar farm energised in northern Victoria

The 130MW Glenrowan Solar Farm has been energised in northern Victoria and will soon begin generating electricity equivalent to the needs of 45,000 homes.

CIMIC Group company Pacific Partnerships energised the Glenrowan Solar Farm on Tuesday and will begin exporting renewable electricity to the national grid in December, ramping up to full production by the end of March 2024.

Pacific Partnerships, a leading greenfield infrastructure developer, began testing and commissioning of the solar farm earlier this month.

Located on 245 hectares in Victoria’s North East Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the solar farm has grid connection and service agreements with the Victorian transmission network operator AusNet and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

The Glenrowan Solar Farm is contracted through a 10-year power purchase agreement with the Victorian Government.

“Achieving on-time energisation just one year after construction began is testament to the team’s detailed planning, coordination and great working relationship with AEMO,” said Simon Nicholls, managing director of Pacific Partnerships.

It is expected the project will support 125 full time-equivalent jobs with a majority being hired locally. Meanwhile, the first round of $50,000 in benefit sharing funding is to be allocated from the project’s community benefit program by Christmas.