Cohuna Solar Farm faces Energy Safe Victoria in Melbourne Magistrates Court after grassfire

A Cohuna solar farm that powers more than 16,000 homes has been directed to disconnect its equipment, months after a fire burnt acres of the property. Now it’s being debated in court.

Specific equipment used at the Cohuna Solar Farm at Horfield are believed to be responsible for a large grass fire.

A regulatory authority is seeking a court order to retain electrical items for assessment from a solar farm it believes were the cause of a grassfire tha burnt up to 10 acres.

Energy Safe Victoria had ordered renewables developer Enel Green Power Australia, the operator of Cohuna Solar Farm at Horfield, to disconnect equipment after the large grass fire in November.

After implementing short term safety measures, the solar farm was allowed to restart operations at a reduced capacity on December 17.

Initial investigations into the fire raised concerns about specific equipment used at the solar farm.

In the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, Energy Safe’s lawyer sought an order to retain electrical items seized as part of its investigation into the fire.

Energy Safe wants an order from the Melbourne Magistrates Court to retain electrical items from the Cohuna Solar Farm as part of its investigation into a grass fire.

The lawyer said a preliminary investigation had pinned the cause of the fire on electrical equipment.

But Magistrate Phillip Goldberg said he needed more information on Energy Safe’s application and adjourned the matter to January 11.

Cohuna is Victoria’s ninth largest solar farm and powers about 16,900 local homes.

The plant comprises about 87,000 bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers.

Energy Safe chief executive Leanne Hughson said initial investigations into the fire raised concerns about specific equipment used at the solar farm.

“The operation of modern solar farms is generally safe but on the rare occasion we see a fault with specific equipment we will investigate,” she said.

Enel Green Power Australia manages more than 1200 power plants in five continents and generates more than 60 GW of installed renewable capacity from a mix of renewable resources, including wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal.