SUN Energy has acquired the Merredin Solar Farm approximately 260km east of Perth in Western Australia’s Central Wheatbelt region. With a generation capacity of 100MW, Merredin Solar Farm is the largest solar farm in Western Australia and will have an expected output of 281GWh of electricity annually, generating enough energy to power approximately 42,000 Western Australian homes.
The Merredin Solar Farm is located on 462ha of former farming and grazing country. The site is adjacent to the Western Power Merredin Terminal Substation and will connect to the substation at 220kV. An 82MW diesel fired turbine power station and distribution substation are also located adjacent to the Merredin Terminal Substation on Robartson Road. The solar farm consists of approximately 360,000 panels mounted on a single axis tracking system.
The Merredin Solar Farm will generate and deliver clean, renewable electricity into the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) and in doing so make a major contribution to Western Australia’s greenhouse gas reductions. DLA Piper and Grant Samuel have advised SUN Energy on raising the project financing of the Merredin solar farm.