A 203 hectare solar farm could be constructed on Bathurst’s outskirts if plans are approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
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The farm will have the capacity to power 46,000 average Australian homes and save 223,161 tonnes in C02 emissions annually.
Photon Energy Australia Pty Ltd is proposing to build the 129 MWp capacity solar power plant in Brewongle, around seven kilometres south-east of Bathurst.
If plans are approved the installation will take 18 months, with the power plant expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2019.
Photon Energy project development team’s Nick Guzowski said they have developed other large-scale solar projects across NSW, including a proposed plant on 280 hectares at Suntop south-west of Wellington.
An online community engagement page has been launched by Photon Energy to inform Bathurst residents about the Brewongle project.
“In order to be as close as possible to residents and keep them informed we have set up this community engagement page to interact with residents, hear their questions and potential concerns and inform them about all possible aspects of the project and solar energy in general,” the page states.
Solar power plant installations are quick, with little digging and noisy work involved, the engagement page states.
“There is much less ‘messy’ construction work involved than in, for example, constructing a building,” it continues.
“For the solar power plant, we will need to dig cable channels and secure the mounting system into the ground.
“Once this is completed, a lot of the work is simply laying panels onto the mounting systems and connecting them.”
As large solar farms are deemed a ‘state significant development’ the proposal will be assessed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) rather than Bathurst Regional Council.
A DPE spokeswoman told the Western Advocate on Monday that: “The Department is anticipating an application, but as yet we have not received anything.”
Mr Guzowski has encouraged anyone interested in the proposed Brewongle Solar Farm to attend Photon Energy’s community consultation meeting on Wednesday, September 6 at 6.30pm at Raglan Community Hall on Frome Street.
For further information about the meeting contact Robert Ibrahim from Photon Energy on brewonglesolarfarm@photonenergy.com.