Pacific Partnerships has energised its 130MWdc Glenrowan Solar Farm in northern Victoria and will start supplying renewable electricity to grid in early December 2023, ramping up to full production by the end of March 2024.
Pacific Partnerships managing director Simon Nicholls said, “Glenrowan Solar Farm is now registered as a generator, having been officially welcomed to the network by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
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“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.”
The 245ha Glenrowan Solar Farm is located in Victoria’s North East Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), and has grid connection and services agreements with the Victorian transmission network operator (AusNet) and AEMO.
Pacific Partnerships engaged fellow CIMIC Group company UGL to engineer, procure, construct, operate and maintain the new solar farm.
UGL managing director Doug Moss said economic stimulus is being delivered during the construction phase through 125 anticipated full time-equivalent jobs, with up to 70% of the UGL workforce being local workers.
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“We aim to add value to the communities where we work across Australia and the Glenrowan Solar Farm is an excellent example of this. In addition to local employment, we engaged the local supply chain as much as possible and worked with local plumbing, survey and mapping, solar farm construction and electrical businesses,” Moss said.
“More than $2 million has been spent so far with Victorian social enterprises and Indigenous businesses, including construction of the operations building, fibre optic termination and DC electrical underground cabling subcontractor services,” he said.
