Potentia Energy, a joint venture co-owned by Enel Green Power and INPEX, has completed the development of its 93MW Girgarre solar PV power plant in Victoria, Australia.
The solar PV power plant, located in the Campaspe Shire region of Victoria around 50km west of Shepparton, represents an approximate AU$140 million (US$94.6 million) investment. It is expected to have an operational life of 35 years.
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Potentia confirmed that the plant features around 169,000 solar modules across 250 hectares. It will roughly provide 200GWh of renewable energy per year.
Construction on the site commenced in 2023, and it hopes to be fully operational in early 2025. Renewable energy company SmartestEnergy Australia inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the solar PV power plant in December 2023.
Werther Esposito, CEO of Potentia Energy, said that utility-scale solar PV projects such as Girgarre often require hundreds of workers and are years in the making.
“Very importantly, we gather to celebrate the community of our solar farm. A community that has embraced and shaped this project from its inception,” Esposito said.
“Through the efforts of everyone here today, and many more, renewable energy generated from Girgarre Solar Farm is now powering businesses and homes across Victoria, supporting Australia’s transition to a sustainable energy future.”
Earlier this year, Potentia Energy acquired a 1.2GW renewable energy generation and energy storage portfolio in Australia from infrastructure investor CVC DIF and superannuation fund Cbus Super.
The portfolio comprises 700MW solar PV and wind assets across multiple states and the Australian Capital Territory. It also includes 430MW of late-stage developments, including South Australian and Queensland battery energy storage systems (BESS) and a Western Australian wind project that recently achieved financial close.
Espositio said at the time that he believes the acquisition will significantly expand the company’s capabilities within the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) and National Electricity Market (NEM).
