Victoria to hold 650MW renewables auction, awards 138MW of solar contracts for Melbourne trams

August 23, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Legislation for the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) will be introduced in parliament next week. Credit: Victoria Government

Victoria’s Labor government will hold a 650MW renewables auction and has awarded contracts for 138MW of large-scale solar plants to power Melbourne’s tram network.

The auction aims to procure power for the equivalent of 389,000 households, bringing AU$1.3 billion (US$1 billion) in investment and creating around 1,250 construction jobs over two years with 90 permanent jobs.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Meanwhile, the 100MW Bannerton Solar Park near Robinvale in the Sunraysia district and the 38MW Numurkah Solar Farm near Shepparton have both been awarded contracts requiring AU$198 million investment and generating around 325 jobs during construction.

The news came as part of legislation for the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) that will be introduced in parliament next week. Victoria’s target is to hit 25% renewables by 2020 and 40% by 2025. It is estimated that the targets should result in Victorians saving around AU$30 a year, AU$2,500 for SMEs and AU$140,000 for large companies.

Premier Daniel Andrews said: “More renewable energy means more jobs for Victorians – that’s why we’re setting these ambitious targets and promoting investment in this growing sector.”

Minister for energy, environment and climate change Lily D’Ambrosio added: “Government investment will be capped to ensure the best value for money for Victorian taxpayers.”

Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton said the strategy would be useful in filling the gap after the closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant, while also being likely to boost private investment in renewables.

Already 300,000 Victorians have rooftop solar according to campaign group Solar Citizens, which also welcomed the announcements.

Back in February, the Victoria government more than doubled the feed-in-tariff (FiT) rates for small-scale renewables in a move that was widely praised by PV advocates.

Read Next

October 22, 2025
The Queensland government has launched the Social Licence in Renewable Energy Toolkit, providing local councils in Australia with resources to navigate renewable energy project engagement and community consultation processes.
October 21, 2025
Australia's solar-plus-storage sector gained momentum with 725MW of solar PV approvals advancing across New South Wales and Queensland.
October 21, 2025
Luminous Robotics has successfully completed its first international deployment of AI-powered solar installation robots at Engie’s 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria, Australia.
October 15, 2025
The Australian government has approved the 141MW Forbes Solar Farm Project in New South Wales in just 19 days, marking one of the fastest environmental approvals on record in the country.
October 15, 2025
Australia has opened registrations for Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tender 7, which targets 5GW of renewable energy generation capacity across the National Electricity Market (NEM).
October 10, 2025
Australia's renewable energy sector recorded its slowest month of the year for additions in September, with 5.8GW of new projects added to development pipelines, according to data from Rystad Energy.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany