The Project
Site Location
The Tilbuster solar farm proposal site is located on the western side of the New England Highway, approximately 6km north-west of the Tilbuster township. The proposal site is located within the Armidale Regional Local Government Area. Armidale is approximately 13km south east from the proposal area and is the closest regional centre.
The current access to the proposal site is via an unnamed, unsealed road. It is located adjacent to the New England Highway; approximately 12km north of the intersection between the Puddledock Road, which joins Tilbuster to the New England Highway. The Tilbuster proposal area features flat and unobstructed land which is considered highly suitable for the purpose of high-output solar energy generation and has access to two existing transmission lines
About The Project
The proposed Tilbuster Solar Farm would have a revised capacity of up to 152 MW and include the development of:
- PV modules and inverter stations
- Single axis tracker or fixed mounting systems on steel frames
- An energy storage facility
- Site office and maintenance building including monitoring container
- Transformers and substation, including ancillary equipment
- Electrical cabling including overhead lines and underground electrical conduits
- Security fence and cameras
- Electrical cabling including overhead lines and underground electrical conduits
The proposed Tilbuster solar farm would add to secure, affordable and clean energy generation for the state of NSW whilst also contributing to the national Renewable Energy Target (RET) of 33,000 gigawatt hours. The New England region is considered an excellent province for solar energy generation due to its solar irradiance capabilities.
It has access to two existing transmission lines that transect the proposal site and does not appear highly constrained by environmental factors; a 132kV eastern line and a 330kV central line. Both the eastern and central line run south east to north west through the proposal site. The 330 kV transmission line would be used to connect the solar farm to the national electricity grid.
At the end of its operational life, the facility would be decommissioned. All below ground components to a depth of 500 mm would be removed and returned to its existing agricultural land capability.
Renewable Electricity Generation
The growing recognition for the need to mitigate the adverse environmental effects associated with traditional methods of energy generation has supported the development of clean and sustainable energy projects globally. In particular, the NSW Government has recognized its excellent renewable energy resource potential and supports the national target in achieving 20% renewable energy through the actioning of the NSW Renewable Energy Action Plan.
The proposed Tilbuster solar farm would add to secure, affordable and clean energy generation for the state of NSW whilst also contributing to the national Renewable Energy Target (RET) of 33,000 gigawatt hours. Once operational, this project will feed electricity into the transmission network and be capable of producing enough clean renewable energy to supply approximately 48,000 NSW homes.
Employment
Tilbuster Solar Farm would be expected to generate economic benefits during construction and operation; including local employment opportunities and economic stimulus. The construction period isn’t expected to place strain on local services; the Armidale city centre and services are expected to be equipped to handle the additional traffic generated during construction.
The construction of the Tilbuster Solar Farm is expected to require direct local employment for civil works, fencing and landscaping. Local businesses including accommodation, catering, trades and other services will also be used throughout the duration of construction. The amount of traffic generated by the development of the Tilbuster solar farm will be negligible relative to the amount of daily traffic along New England Highway during operation.
DA Modification
Recent changes in the design of the Tilbuster Solar Farm have resulted in the need for a DA Modification. The substation has been shifted to a new location with a substantially decreased impact on the native vegetation in the area. As such, the alignment of the access road leading from the New England Highway entrance has been revised as well.
Consultation is currently underway with all relevant stakeholders. A full submission will be lodged with DPHI once all studies are completed.
Tilbuster Stage 2
As part of the Tilbuster Solar Farm project, Enerparc is also progressing the Development Application for Tilbuster Stage 2. The second stage is located on land adjacent to the original project towards the South-east. This additional PV capacity will feed into the same connection point at the substation and will utilize much of the same infrastructure as the first stage.
The SEARs has been completed for Tilbuster Stage 2, and the EIS is now underway. You can find more information on the project here: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/tilbuster-2-solar-farm
The indicative footprint of Tilbuster Stage 2 can be seen highlighted in green below.
Preliminary Environmental Assessment
The Tilbuster Solar Farm requires adherence to planning approval from the Armidale Regional Local Government Area and NSW Department of Planning and Environment. A number of high-level studies have already taken place including careful consideration of biodiversity, cultural heritage, visual amenity, noise, traffic, soil and socio-economic concerns. These are presented in the Preliminary Assessment Report, which will shortly be on public display at http://www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/. These will be progressed as part of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will be submitted with the planning application and also made available for public access.
Clean Energy Council Best Practice Charter
Enerparc is a member of CEC and has committed to honouring the Clean Energy Council’s Best Practice Charter in renewable energy developments and associated transmission infrastructure. The charter is a voluntary set of commitments that reflects our commitment to develop projects in a socially responsible way and designed to communicate the standards that the company will uphold in the development of current and new clean energy projects.
