Michelle Slater
The state government has approved a planning permit to build a new 70-megawatt solar farm on Tramway Road, expected to be operational by 2024.
The Morwell Solar Farm is being managed by new Thai-owned operators RATCH-Australia, which already owns 1.2 gigawatts of gas and renewables in Australia.
The proposed Hazelwood North site sits on two properties encompassing about 170 hectares, diagonally opposite the Morwell Terminal Station.
RATCH-Australia communications officer Mieka White said the company would be about to put out expressions of interest for construction tenders, with a focus on local expertise and labour.
Ms White said the project is expected to provide 150 jobs in peak construction, which is hoped to start in August or September this year.
The solar farm anticipated to have a 30-year lifespan and will require ongoing maintenance crew.
“The site is flat and this is perfect for us, and it is surrounded by industrial sites that we will liaise with to arrange power purchasing agreements,” Ms White said.
“The grid is also very strong with capacity from the former Hazelwood Power Station just there, which makes the site very attractive.”
Ms White said there would be minimal vegetation lost with plans to revegetate for roadside screening and plantings along a creek.
She said access will be from Tramway Road making use of existing entry points minimising disruption to local roads.
“Power generated by solar panels will be connected to the grid via a substation to be built in the north-western corner of the site,” she said.
“From the substation, cables will run underground to the Morwell Terminal Station to enable power to enter the local network.”
The company will now focus on furthering detailed technical studies to inform the next stage of the development.
Ms White said locals may see some site investigations being carried-out in the next few months before constructions starts.
She said the planning approvals included a large scale battery, which could be part of the project’s second stage.
