Weasel Solar Farm Station in Tasmania’s Central Highlands given green light to proceed
A 250MW solar farm has been approved for Tasmania, with the federal government impressed by the project’s capacity to coexist with agriculture and minimise environmental impacts.
Tasmania
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A 250MW solar farm with the capacity to power 30,000 homes has been approved by the federal government, which has described the project slated for Tasmania’s Central Highlands as “a great example of agriculture and renewable energy generation working together”.
The Weasel Solar Farm Station will be located on the Weasel Plains, nine kilometres north of Bothwell, and will involve the construction of about 4000 solar panels and a 144MW, 576MWh battery storage unit.
The station will connect to the National Electricity Market and is situated in the Tasmanian Midlands proposed renewable energy zone.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said the solar farm, which has the support of local landowners, would slash greenhouse gas emissions by more than 44,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent per annum, which is equal to the planting of more than 450,000 trees.
“This project is another example of how we can capitalise on our natural resources and make the shift to cheaper, clean, reliable, renewable energy,” he said.
“Since 2022, we have given the green light to 89 renewable energy projects – enough to power more than 11 million Australian homes.
“We’re producing record renewable electricity, and we are on track to transform Australia into a renewable energy superpower.”
The Weasel Solar Farm Station will support up to 300 direct jobs during construction and up to 20 ongoing positions in the areas of maintenance, inspections, and management.
Mr Watt said the approvals process for the solar farm took 20 days and the site of the project was cleared agricultural land, intended to minimise environmental impacts.
The farm will continue to be used for agriculture as sheep will be able to graze beneath the solar panels.
Lyons Labor MHR Rebecca White said she was excited to see the Weasel Solar Farm Station gain the necessary approvals.
“Tasmania has a proud renewable energy story and under a federal Labor government these projects have certainty to proceed, which is good for investment confidence and good for local jobs,” she said.
The solar farm is the result of a partnership between the Downie family from Dungrove and the Bowden family from Weasel Plains, who are working with Andrew Clark from renewable energy financing firm Alternate Path.
The website for the project says Weasel Solar Farm Station will “ensure that the local ecosystem is preserved, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship while driving forward Tasmania’s clean energy future”.
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