King Island solar farm lighting the way

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In gaining development approval for the 1.5 MW solar installation on the site of King Island’s Huxley Hill Wind Farm, Hydro Tasmania aims to offset an additional 800 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

Adding more solar to the King Island system allows Hydro Tasmania to diversify its renewable generation portfolio on the Bass Strait islands.

The project is intended to increase the amount of renewable energy produced on King Island, while decreasing reliance on diesel-generated electricity.

Construction on the King Island solar farm is expected to begin early next year and completed by the end of May.

“It’s part of our ongoing commitment to reduce our emissions on King Island, this allows us to leverage off the work done in developing our high-penetration renewable system,” Simon van der Aa, Hydro Tasmania Specialist Electrical Engineer, said.

The solar project will be located on Hydro Tasmania land and will form part of the existing King Island Renewable Integration Project (KIREIP), a world-leading, hybrid, off-grid power system. It is expected to remain in operation for at least 20 years.