Clean, green Wunghnu power

There could be a sun-fuelled employment boom across the Moira Shire when work begins on a planned solar farm.

French energy company Neoen will connect a staggering 350 000 solar panels to the grid on two neighbouring properties at Wunghnu.

The farm passed its first hurdle when the Moira Shire Council approved a planning application for the plant on Wednesday night.

It will provide clean and green power to Victoria, but Moira Mayor Gary Cleveland said locals would see bigger benefits.

When construction starts on the 500 ha solar farm, the company should be on the look out for 200 workers.

Looking bright: Moira Shire Mayor Gary
Cleveland is a big supporter of a planned solar
farm a French company will develop in Wunghnu.
"Hopefully they are looking at starting next year,’’ Cr Cleveland said.

‘‘We understand they will use local suppliers and workers, but there may be some specialisttype areas where they will need to import skills.’’

Neoen project manager Tim Kirk said if everything went to plan workers would be needed to start construction as early as February. ‘‘We are very adamant that locals will be provided with those opportunities,’’ Mr Kirk said.

For Mr Kirk, the properties ticked all the right boxes for a large-scale solar farm.

The properties grow cereal crops and canola, but the favourable sunshine and size of the land is perfect for solar.

‘‘We have a good look at solar irradiance, that is the amount of sunshine an area can expect to receive,’’ he said.

‘‘And it has to be close to an area that can accept a large injection of energy.

‘‘We have some major nodes around here and that adds to a very strong connection point.’’

When it is online, he anticipated the 100 megawatt solar plant to be sufficient to power more than 42 000 households.

Cr Cleveland was optimistic the Wunghnu solar farm would be the first of many such renewable energy plants across the Moira area.

‘‘If this opens a door for us, we think it is a great opportunity for Moira,’’ Cr Cleveland said.

This story by Barclay White was published in today’s Shepparton News - “Clean, green Wunghnu power.”