$651m Hazelwood North Solar Farm approved for construction, to generate 500 jobs

Victoria’s largest solar farm project has been given the green light for construction by the State Government, taking it a step closer to delivering more affordable renewable energy and creating new jobs in the Latrobe Valley. 

The Hazelwood North Solar Farm will have a 450MW capacity, which is enough to power about 150,000 homes and prevent 700,000 tonnes of emissions. 

“The approval of the Hazelwood North Solar Farm will strengthen Victoria’s renewable energy industry and provide cheaper, cleaner power to thousands of homes,” Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said. 

The solar farm is going to be built on a 1,100-hectare site between Morwell and Traralgon, with connection to important access points such as the Princes Highway, Firmins Lane and Hazelwood Road. 

Project map (source: Hazelwood North Solar Farm)

This $651 million project will include a battery energy storage system (BESS) with about 1,800MWh capacity, a substation, and associated infrastructure. The substation and BESS – which will be built centrally on site – will store affordable solar energy during the day and feed it to the grid when needed. 

As part of the project’s construction plan, the site will be bordered by native vegetation landscaping to visually screen the solar farm from the surrounding land. 

The Hazelwood North Solar Farm is expected to generate approximately 500 direct construction jobs and about 41 direct and indirect ongoing jobs. 

“The Latrobe Valley has been the home of Victoria’s energy generation for decades and our nation-leading targets are helping solidify its role in our renewables energy future – this project will deliver 500 local jobs and power 150,000 homes,” Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said. 

The Victorian Government is committed to deliver more renewable energy projects, ensuring these developments are built faster thanks to the recent changes in permitting renewable energy projects to be eligible for an accelerated planning pathway under the Development Facilitation Program. 

Projects such as the Hazelwood North Solar Farm support the State’s renewable energy generation targets of 65 per cent by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035, further supported by energy storage targets of at least 2.6GW by 2030 and 6.3GW by 2035. 

“As our transition to renewable energy continues across the Latrobe Valley, we’re supporting another valuable project that will boost cheap energy, and support jobs and economic growth for communities across the region,” Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said. 

Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Hazelwood North Solar Farm (1, 2); Renew Economy; Renewables Now; PV Magazine Australia