Michelle Slater
The proposed Morwell Solar Farm is one step closer with a public notice period underway as part of a planning application to build the 70 megawatt renewable project on Tramway Road.
Developer ARP Australian Solar has lodged a planning application with the state government for the project after it was held up last year due to COVID-19 border restrictions.
ARP director George Hughes said he was confident the project would go ahead on two sites pegged out near the Hazelwood terminal station and Bonds Lane.
The Morwell Solar Farm would include an accompanying storage battery, and would generate enough electricity to power 23,300 average Victorian homes a year.
The solar farm would save more than 146,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year compared to fossil fuels.
Mr Hughes said it would create about 100 jobs in the 12-month construction period as well as a number of part-time jobs once it was up and running.
He said he hoped the approvals would be finalised by August for construction to start early next year.
The company is also encouraging local companies to get in touch to become involved in the project, and will be holding a tendering process further down the track.
“The site has been chosen due to its proximity to the Morwell Terminal Station which is where the point of connection will be made,” Mr Hughes said.
“In addition the site is currently grazed by livestock and this will continue throughout the lifetime of the project.”
Mr Hughes said the company had identified the site three years ago and had received largely positive feedback from the community after it held public consultation sessions.
He said the solar farm would also help hit the Victorian Renewable Energy Target in which 50 per cent state’s electricity would be supplied from renewables by 2030.
“The project will have a substantially positive impact on the environment and the local area and we believe it will be great for the Latrobe Valley,” he said.”
“Hazelwood has been switched off, and Yallourn will be switched off, this is a much needed development, we need many of these projects to fill the gap left by coal-fired power stations.”
