$200m Gunnedah Solar Farm in NSW given the green light for construction
Approval has been granted to Photon Energy by the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission for the development of the $200 million Gunnedah Solar Farm that will have a capacity of 165MW.
“Jobs will increase in Gunnedah with over 100 people expected to work on construction of the new solar farm. Long-term there will be ten operational jobs, adding to the expertise and economy of the region,” Photon Energy Managing Director Michael Gartner said.
The solar farm is going to be built on a 203 hectare site along Orange Grove Road, with construction expected to commence by the fourth quarter of 2019.
Project location (source: Photon Energy)
The approval of the solar farm comes with a number of conditions including that the solar panels be built a certain distance from the boundary with height restrictions as well as that the vegetation screening should appropriately screen the project site to reduce visual impact.
Other conditions include a decommissioning and rehabilitation plan for when the solar farm ends its service life. This will ensure that the site is going to be restored to its pre-solar farm agricultural condition as the site is being used for cropping.
In a statement, the Commission said: “The project will assist in reducing greenhouse gas emission and climate change and achieves a reasonable balance between maximising the use of the solar resource and managing potential impacts on the environment and on surrounding landowners.”
The installation of solar panels is expected to take up to 12-14 months to complete.
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Source: Renew Economy; Namoi Valley Independent; PV Magazine; Independent Planning Commission; Photon Energy
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