- Gippsland Water says its newly commissioned floating solar array is the largest such project in all of Australia
- The project is equipped with 644 individual solar panels with a combined 350 kW installed capacity
- It expects the project to help reduce its operating costs and also lower its emissions
The Victorian Regional Water Corporation Gippsland Water has commissioned a 350 kW solar array, calling it the largest floating solar plant in Australia to date.
Fitted with 644 individual solar panels, it has come up on one of the Drouin Wastewater Treatment Plant’s treatment lagoons. At peak capacity, it can fully power the treatment plant as it produces enough clean energy to power nearly 90 homes/day, according to the corporation.
For Gippsland Water, this floating PV array is part of its plans to achieve its 100% renewable energy target by 2025 and reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2030. Solar power is a major focus area for the corporation to achieve net-zero status.
“They also positively impact the wastewater treatment process by reducing evaporation,” said Gippsland Water’s Acting Managing Director Simon Aquilina. “Solar energy helps reduce our operating costs and puts downward pressure on customer water bills. It also helps reduce our emissions.”
Drouin is Gippsland Water’s 8th facility to be partially powered by solar energy. The corporation targets to invest AUD 55 million to upgrade the Drouin facility.
In 2023, the corporation switched on a 1,200 kW solar array at the Gippsland Water Factory in Maryvale.
