The Victorian Government has approved the construction of Victoria’s largest solar farm, Hazelwood North Solar Farm, marking a significant milestone in the state’s renewable energy journey.
The ambitious $651 million project will feature a 450 megawatt (MW) solar farm and a 450-megawatt, four-hour battery storage facility.
Once completed, the Hazelwood North Solar Farm is expected to power approximately 150,000 homes and prevent around 700,000 tonnes of emissions annually. The project is set to create about 500 construction jobs, further boosting employment in the Latrobe Valley.
“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 renewable energy future – this project will deliver 500 local jobs and power 150,000 homes,” Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said.
With its large scale, the Hazelwood North Solar Farm will surpass all existing solar farms in Victoria. The construction plan includes native vegetation landscaping around the site to blend the facility with its surroundings.
This project contributes to Victoria’s impressive renewable energy targets, which include a 65 per cent renewable energy share by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035.
The state is also aiming for energy storage targets of at least 2.6 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and 6.3 GW by 2035.
According to the Victorian Government, its push for accelerated planning pathways under the Development Facilitation Program is designed to expedite renewable energy projects.
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