The first row of solar panels, known as the ‘golden row’, has been installed in the construction of Melbourne Water’s solar farm at the Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP).
The project will eventually consist of 39,000 panels to create the 18MW facility.
The solar farm will help power ETP, which is responsible for treating about 40 per cent of Melbourne’s sewage. This means, instead of using electricity from the grid, ETP will use the solar plant to help power its own major infrastructure.
The farm is being constructed by Beon Energy Solutions. Melbourne Water’s Project Manager, Kai So, is pleased with the progress.
“This project is an important part of Melbourne Water’s Path To Net Zero campaign and to see the first row of panels installed is a great step forward,” Mr So said.
“We anticipate steady progress as more and more rows of panels are scheduled to be installed in the coming months. The project is due to be completed by mid-2022.”
For more information about projects and initiatives to reduce Melbourne Water’s carbon footprint, visit the Our Path to Net Zero page.
