City of Fremantle Moves Towards a Solar Future

As one of the world’s sunniest cities, Fremantle is tailor made for solar power.

And it’s a fact not lost on the city council, who recently announced plans to build a 10MW solar farm on a former landfill site.

Offering “a fantastic opportunity to locate a renewable energy source close to a major electricity load centre,” the solar farm “aligns with the City’s vision of becoming a zero carbon city and has the added benefit of creating local jobs”, said Fremantle Mayor, Dr Brad Pettitt.

The project was first floated in May 2014, with the City calling for expressions of interest from commercial operators to construct and operate a large scale solar farm at the site. Of the 10 applicants assessed by the City’s panel, US based solar giant First Solar was recently named as the preferred choice.

Jack Curtis, First Solar’s Asia Pacific regional manager described the move as ‘ground breaking’ for the Australian solar industry.

And he’s not wrong.

With the large-scale component of the Renewable Energy Target Scheme (RET) under threat, and little support for solar power available from State and Federal governments, local government councils have stepped up to take the lead.

Keen to provide protection for themselves and their rate payers from rising electricity costs, Fremantle Council’s actions echo those of the Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland.

Having already lodged an application to develop a 10-15MW solar farm on a 24 hectare former sugar plantation near Coolum, the proposed Valdora Solar Farm project has been in the works since July 2013.

When completed, it will be one of Australia’s largest solar installations, generating enough power to meet at least half of the council’s electricity needs for the next 30 years, slashing its energy costs in the process.

And Fremantle’s proposed solar farm won’t be far behind.

According to Pettitt, “The Fremantle community has been a consistent leader in creating a more sustainable, low carbon Fremantle and this further enables that”.

Although still a few years away, the project will enable the city to “buy power produced sustainably and probably more cheaply from around the corner in South Fremantle,” he said, rather than from a distant coal-fired power station.

The Council has granted First Solar a 12 month exclusivity period, during which they’ll undertake due diligence, resolve environmental and other approval matters and seek customers for a possible power purchase agreement.

Both construction and operation of the solar farm will be fully funded by First Solar.

Demonstrating their commitment to harnessing sustainable, affordable and environmentally friendly energy sources, it’s a move we hope other councils across the country will seek to emulate.