South Australian energy and infrastructure company Vibe Energy, and Victoria-based Grampians Wimmera Mallee (GWM) Water have announced the successful energising of their joint venture (JV), the Nhill Renewable Energy Facility (NREF) project.
Located near the township of Nhill, Victoria, 380 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, the NREF comprises 6.5 MW of solar generated power using 9,000 panels, with a 2.75 MW / 6.7 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) fully integrated and connected to the local grid.
The NREF will offset 70% of electricity consumed by GMHWater’s 330 pump stations, treatment facilities, offices and depots, setting the goals of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2025 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2035.
The energisation of Vibe Energy’s high voltage (HV) connection asset is the first stage in the commissioning of the NREF, and a major milestone for the project.
Other partners on the project included power plant engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Victoria-based Next Generation Electrical, and South Australia-based RJE Global.
The first stage of construction at the NREF began in 2024 and is GWMWater’s first venture into large scale energy generation with direct connection into the local electricity grid.
The NREF, along with solar generation installed at 59 other GWMWater sites, will enable GWMWater to become more self-sufficient by generating the energy needed to operate its services with less reliance on electricity from the grid.
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