On the Cosgrove solar farm site (from left) Jared Matthews from Watters Electrical, Green Squares Energy director Ashley Robertson, Bison Energy Australia country director Brendan Murphy and Green Squares director James Garrett.
Work has started on the $6 million, five megawatt solar farm at Cosgrove.
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A launch ceremony was held on the Caniambo-Cosgrove Rd site on Monday, December 5 in strong, blustery winds, which caused the project developer to joke it may be a better wind farm site.
The project will generate up to 5MW for the grid, saving tonnes of carbon annually, which would otherwise be generated by fossil fuel power sources and providing power equal to the consumption of about 1600 homes annually.
On Monday, the 16ha former grazing site was dotted by a forest of 4000 posts driven deep into the ground to support the framework for the solar arrays.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali spoke in a brief ceremony to thank project developers Bison Energy Australia for bringing the project to the region and for engaging local contractors, including the main contractor Watters Electrical.
The micro-sized project is the first for Bison Energy Australia.
Since the project was developed, the business has been purchased by Green Squares Energy, a Sydney-based company specialising in smaller solar projects, with funding support from Future Super.
The Cosgrove site will soon be populated by solar panels.
Green Squares director James Garrett said the company was interested in developing more solar farms in the region.
This project will provide up to 50 jobs in its construction and tap into the grid through the 22 kilovolt powerline running past the site.
The project is expected to be operating in late March or early April next year. Construction started in early October after delays due to the floods.
Disability service provider Connect GV has been engaged to provide about 1000 native trees and shrubs for a screen on a five-metre buffer zone surrounding the project.
The plants will be supplied through the organisation’s subsidiary, Billabong Nursery.
The enhanced screening was part of the agreement reached with neighbours after an appeal was lodged with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The project has been assisted by the Committee for Greater Shepparton.
Bison Energy Australia country director Brendan Murphy talks with Lynne McCartney from Billabong Nursery and Connect GV chief executive officer Jacinta Russell about how the trees and shrubs will be placed around the solar farm site.
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