The Victorian Government has given the green light for construction on Victoria’s largest solar farm to begin.
Hazelwood North Solar Farm has been granted a planning permit approval for a 450 megawatt capacity solar farm that is set to power approximately 150,000 homes and prevent 700,000 tonnes of emissions.
The $651 million project will create about 500 construction jobs and would be larger than any solar farm currently operating in the state, said Minster for Planning Sonya Kilkenny.
“The approval of the Hazelwood North Solar Farm will strengthen Victoria’s renewable energy industry and provide cheaper, cleaner power to thousands of homes,” she said.
As part of the construction plan, the site will be bordered by native vegetation landscaping to visually screen the facility from surrounding land.
The project also includes provision for a large 450 megawatt, 4-hour battery energy storage facility that will store cheap solar power during the day and feed it into to the grid when it’s needed.
Last year, renewable energy made up 39% of energy capacity – delivering 5.34 gigawatts of energy.
“The Latrobe Valley has been the home of Victoria’s energy generation for decades and our nation-leading targets are helping solidify its role in our renewable energy future – this project will deliver 500 local jobs and power 150,000 homes,” said Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio.
