Sunny skies for solar

TWO local solar projects have been shortlisted for funding by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) under its $100 million large-scale solar photovoltaic program.

Syncline Energy’s project near Robinvale will sell power to large energy users seeking to improve their environmental performance.

“There’s a genuine shift starting to happen from energy production out of the Latrobe Valley and the Hunter Valley which is the sun belt,” Mr Galloway said.

“It’s just a huge opportunity for the Murray to pick up on that.”

Solar Choice and Edify Energy’s Gannawarra Solar Farm Project is in the advanced stages of development and already has planning approval.

The 350-megawatt facility near Lalbert will generate 638,000-megawatt hours of clean energy each year and have the capability to provide power to around 70,000 homes once operational.

Solar Choice managing director, Angus Gemmell said negotiations with entities for a power purchase agreement are progressing.

“We will be construction-ready by the end of the first quarter of 2016, but the timing on whether we can start depends on the progress of our currently power purchase agreement negotiations for the first stage,” he said.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of today’s (Friday, January 15) The Guardian…