CIMIC Group’s Pacific Partnerships has achieved its first energisation at its 130MWdc Glenrowan solar farm this week and will immediately begin delivering renewable energy to the national network.
Pacific Partnerships began testing and commissioning their solar farm early this month and achieved its first energisation on 21 November 2023.
The Glenrowan solar farm will start exporting renewable energy to the grid in early December 2023 and reach full production by 2024.
“Glenrowan Solar Farm will generate enough clean energy to power 45,000 Australian homes and has a 10-year power purchase agreement in place with the Victorian Government, supporting the state’s renewable energy targets,” CIMIC Group Executive Chairman Juan Santamaria said.
Pacific Partnerships Managing Director Simon Nicholls stated Glenrowan Solar Farm has been officially welcomed to the network as a generator by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
“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,” Nicholls added.
The company has also tapped fellow CIMIC Group subsidiary UGL to engineer, procure, construct, operate, and maintain the new solar farm.
UGL Managing Director Doug Moss reported economic stimulus during the construction phase, delivering 125 full-time equivalent jobs, with up to 70% local workforce.
“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 continued.
The following milestone announcement will provide more local benefits, with the project’s community benefit program allocating $50,000 in benefit-sharing funding.
“The Glenrowan Solar Farm Community Reference Group has assisted us to assess and select this year’s recipients and we look forward to announcing successful applications in time for Christmas,” Nicholls said.
