Shoalhaven Solar Farm Concept Progressing

Exciting News!!!! Repower Shoalhaven has entered into an arrangement with Flow Power to co-develop a 3MWac solar farm for the Shoalhaven. Flow Power is a substantial electricity retailer operating in Victoria and NSW focussing on renewable energy. The goal of the arrangement is for Repower Shoalhaven and Flow Power to have equal share in the ownership of a 3MWac solar farm located on Nowra Hill Road, off BTU Road, on land leased from Shoalhaven City Council. 

Unlike previous Repower Shoalhaven solar projects this will be a ‘front of the meter’ scheme, with solar power sold to businesses via power purchase agreements. 

Flow Power are providing substantial support for the pre commitment works for this community-initiated scheme. Repower will undertake a capital raising to fund its portion of the solar farm following the verification of the financial viability of the project. This is anticipated to occur by May 2020. When the solar farm is operational, Flow Power will on-sell 100% the electricity generated.  

There are a lot of tasks to work through to get the solar farm ‘shovel ready’. The current status of these tasks are:
•    Studies to support the Shoalhaven City Council Development Application have been commissioned and formal engagement with Council officers has commenced.
•    Council’s terms for the lease of the site adjacent to the Animal Shelter off BTU Road have been established and are being considered.
•    Design and engineering studies, including the connection requirements of Endeavour Energy,  are being progressed by Flow Power.
•    The arrangements for the community capital raising and related investment entity are being assessed and developed by the Repower Solar Farm Sub- Committee. These will be advised to the community in the new year.
•    Flow Power have arranged for a portion of the power to be generated from the Shoalhaven solar farm to be purchased by the City of Sydney as a component of a contract with Flow Power to purchase 100% renewable energy from July 2020. The supply to the City of Sydney represents about 10% of the generated output of the Shoalhaven solar farm and is conditional on the Shoalhaven scheme being completed. 
•    The primary customers for the energy generated from the Shoalhaven solar farm are local commercial and industrial businesses. Flow Power have a unique offering aimed at enabling a low-cost sustainable supply, including demand management activities. 
•    We are planning for the viability of the scheme to be determined by May 2020 when all costs and forecast incomes have been fully established. The community capital raising will proceed only after the project is demonstrated to be commercially viable. 
•    If the project is demonstrated to be viable then we are currently planning for the scheme to be commissioned before the end of 2020.

If you require further information please contact Bob Hayward, convener of the Solar farm Sub- Committee email; bob.hayward@repower.net.au