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Canberra Today 12°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Two more solar farms approved

TWO more solar power stations will be built in Canberra to achieve the ACT Government’s goal to generate 40 megawatts worth of solar power.

Simon Corbell.
Simon Corbell
In June, Spanish company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures received final approval to build a 20-megawatt solar farm at Royalla, and now the ACT Government has announced that two more solar farms will be built at Hume and Coree, near Uriarra, to provide a further 20 megawatts between them.

Zhenfa Solar will build the 13-megawatt Mugga Lane Solar Park on the corner of Mugga Lane and the Monaro Highway, next to the garbage tip, and OneSun will build the 7-megawatt Capital Solar Farm in the district of Coree, near Uriarra Village, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development Simon Corbell announced today.

“I am pleased to announce two new solar farms will be developed in Canberra as a result of the Solar Auction process, which will now contribute over $100 million worth of capital investment in renewable energy for our city,” Mr Corbell said.

“Including the FRV Royalla Solar Farm announced in September 2012, the three solar farms will produce renewable energy, equivalent to the power needs of 10,000 Canberra households, and zero emissions.”

The maximum cost to households, Mr Corbell expects, will be 45 cents per week when all three farms are operating in 2016, forecast to drop to 27 cents per household per week by 2021.

According to the Minister, the three projects will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.4 million tonnes over the 20 year feed-in tariff entitlement period and result in the employment of about 165 people during construction.

All renewable energy certificates associated with the projects are surrendered to the ACT Government.

“This project is delivering on the ACT Labor Government’s vision by beginning the transition from fossil fuel energy sources to cleaner renewable energy sources like solar,” Mr Corbell says. “The delivery of this nation leading project is a big step for the ACT towards our greenhouse gas reduction targets of 40 per cent by 2020, and becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2060.”

Further information and images of the projects and the Solar Auction process is available at www.environment.act.gov.au/energy/solar_auction

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