Each month, we put the spotlight on the progress of various projects in and around the state of Victoria. This time, we look at the Renewables sector and the latest updates from three energy projects.

Kiamal Solar Farm

Project: Kiamal Solar Farm Development (Stage 2)

Status: Builder Appointed

Developer: Total Eren

Contractor: Bouygues Construction Australia

Construction Start Date: Late 2019

Construction End Date: Late 2020   Value: $550m

French renewables giant, Total Eren, has already commenced construction on Stage 1 of Victoria’s largest solar PV plant with completion expected in mid-2019.

Located near Ouyen in Victoria’s north-west, Stage 2 is currently in advanced development, gearing up to commence in Q4 2019 with a contractor already finalised. This stage of the Kiamal Solar Farm development will see an additional 194MWp as well as up to 270MW/1080 MWh energy storage capacity. There will also be further upgrades to the Solar Farm Collector Substation to accommodate the increased capacity.

Once all completed, more than 133,000 Australian homes will take advantage of the power generated by Kiamal farm’s 720,000 solar panels. As one of the most significant projects in the national renewable energy market, the Kiamal Solar Farm Development is one to keep track of.

Nowingi Solar & Battery Storage

Project: Nowingi Solar & Battery Storage Development

Status: Post Tender

Developer: Lyon Group

Contractor: Downer EDI Works

Construction Start Date: September 2020   Construction End Date: September 2021   Value: $660m

The new $660 million large-scale solar and battery storage project is due to commence works in September 2020 with a contractor confirmed and planning well underway. The project has been forecast to involve over 250 different jobs.

Located in northwest Victoria near Mildura, the Nowingi project will use 2.3 million solar panels to charge an 80 megawatt battery storage system through its capacity of 250 megawatts of generation. It will have the ability to run for about two hours, making it the second biggest battery storage system in the world.

The plant is expected to improve reliability as well as security of supply and has attracted the interest of prominent international investors.

Mortlake South Wind Farm

Project: Mortlake South Wind Farm Development

Status: Construction Commenced

Developer: Acciona Energy Australia

Construction Start Date: March 2019

Construction End Date: Mid 2020   Value: $250m

Located in South Western Victoria, Acciona has just started construction on the Mortlake South Wind Farm, its fifth wind farm in Australia.

Once operational in mid-2020, the wind farm will consist of thirty-five 4.5-MW Nordex wind turbines, 33kc-66kV substations, 26km of access tracks, 40km of electrical cabling as well as permanent site facilities.

The wind farm will generate clean energy equal to the electricity usage of approximately 115,000 Australian households, foregoing the emission of over 530,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. The project is set to create over 100 jobs as well as 10 ongoing roles.

The Mortlake South Wind Farm will see Acciona’s windpower capacity increase in Australia by 36% to 592MW making it a significant project to keep an eye on.

Summary

We work closely with a variety of companies on these projects, so if there is a particular project you’re interested in or if you would like to work with any of the companies listed, get in touch with one of the below Consultants:

Architecture: Sarah Ingram

Building: Charles Ferraro, Corey Jacobs and Ryan Wakelin

Civil Construction: Andrew Chalkley and Charlie Kat

Civil Engineering (Design): Bernie Guthrie and Charlie Kat

Structural & Building Services Engineering (Design): Charlie Kat

Property & Project Management: Brett Isard