Fulham Solar Farm & BESS
Octopus Australia and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation are joining forces to develop renewable energy assets that will help the Gippsland region.
The Fulham Project is a proposed 80MW solar farm (enough to power around 25,000 homes), with battery storage of up to 120 megawatt hours, located on over 160 hectares of farmland. Once operational, the solar farm is planned to co-exist with existing grazing activities on the site.
Key Facts
Location: Gippsland, Victoria (VIC), Australia.
Expected homes powered: 33,600 homes.
Expected renewable energy capacity: 80MW. Expected to avoid 149,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This is the equivalent of planting 725,000 trees p.a. in urban areas or having 67,000 cars decommissioned.
BESS capacity: 64MW / 116MWh.
Jobs created: Up to 100 construction jobs, including a program of re-skilling local workers into renewable energy.
Size: Over 160 hectares.
The landmark joint venture will help accelerate the delivery of the Fulham Project, comprising a 80 MW solar farm and 64MW/116MWh BESS in Gippsland, Victoria. The Project has achieved planning approval from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). Octopus Australia and the CEFC will be working closely together to bring the Project to Financial Close in 2024.
The Fulham Project will boost local economic development in the Gippsland region, which continues to recover following recent bushfires, drought, and the decline of local industries including timber and coal based power generation. This Project offers an exciting new pathway for the Gippsland community to benefit from the clean energy economy. The Project is also expected to showcase the ability of sheep grazing and solar farms to co-exist, providing a diversified revenue stream to local landholders.
The development, construction, and operation of the Project is expected to create around 100 direct jobs during the construction period. Further employment will be generated for local businesses who will soon be able to register their interest to fill a wide range of services needed to support development.
“Gippsland has its roots in the electricity industry, and these projects help the region continue that journey. As one of the first renewable energy projects to be built at scale in the region, the Fulham solar farm and BESS symbolise how the region can be transformed into a green energy powerhouse for the 21st century.”
Sam Reynolds, CEO
Through its investments, the CEFC has helped Australia’s renewable energy sector achieve rapid growth in recent years, delivering substantial amounts of clean energy across Australia. This experience will be critical as we develop this renewable energy asset for Gippsland.
With the early retirement of the Yallourn coal fired power station being recently announced, the nearby Fulham development forms a part of the suite of new energy generation that will be required to replace this asset.
The CEFC is helping cut emissions by investing $10 billion on behalf of the Australian Government across the economy – in agriculture, cleantech innovation, energy generation and storage, infrastructure, property, transport and waste.
CEFC Executive Director Monique Miller said: “Investment in new, clean generation, storage, transmission and infrastructure is critical to support the security and reliability of Australia’s energy grid. We are delighted to be further extending our investments in Victoria’s renewable energy sector with these exciting developments in the Gippsland region.”
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