Plans Lodged For Snowtown North Solar Farm

Tilt Renewables has reportedly lodged plans for a 45MW solar facility featuring up to 25MW of battery storage near Snowtown with South Australia’s State Planning Commission.

The proposed solar farm will be constructed next to Tilt Renewables’ existing  Snowtown I Wind Farm substation.

Lodging of the plans was originally intended for July.

“We have been looking for solar at Snowtown for some time, I guess it’s been delayed a little bit while we work through some of network changes (sic),” said Tilt Renewables development general manager Clayton Delmarter in an interview with The Advertiser (paywall).

The solar farm will consist of up to 180,000 solar panels and generate enough electricity to power 8,000 South Australian households, while avoiding 85,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually that would emitted by equivalent coal-fired electricity generation.

Tilt Renewables says by combining wind energy (with an evening peak) and solar energy (with a daytime peak), the two clean power stations can combine to better match daily demands.

Should the plan be approved, up  to 200 people will be employed during the estimated 8-month construction period. Estimated time from approval to completion is around 12 months.

According to The Advertiser report, Tilt has another larger solar project in the pipeline – a 70MW solar farm also to be situated alongside Snowtown Wind Farm.

Snowtown I Wind Farm sits on the Barunga and Hummocks Ranges, approximately 170km north of Adelaide. The 101MW facility generates approximately 375 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.

In addition to Tilt’s proposed solar PV projects for the Mid-North, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) is reportedly also considering establishing a solar farm in the region, but details are scant.

Last week, the Northern Argus reported FRV is in the early stages of research and consultancy regarding the construction of project in Mintaro named Chaff Mill Solar Farm. The Advertiser says the facility will comprise 100MW of solar PV and 50MW of battery storage.

Also in the pipeline for the region is DP Energy’s Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, the PV aspect of which will feature approximately 1,600,000 solar panels.

“Nothing” For South Australia In The NEG

In other renewables-related news out of South Australia, Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis says the Federal Government’s National Energy Guarantee won’t work for the state and it will stifle investment in renewables.

“The Federal Government’s report shows the only thing the NEG guarantees is a longer lifeline for coal, more market power and more profits for the existing generators,” said Minister Koutsantonis on Tuesday. “There is nothing here for South Australia – we have already set in motion a plan for our State to be more self-sufficient and to increase renewable energy generation and storage.”

The Federal Government will attempt to sell the NEG to the States in a COAG meeting tomorrow.