BendigoWeekly www.bendigoweekly.com
ISSUE 1122 FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2019
Solar farm plans By PETER KENNEDY
A GOLD mining company has announced plans to build a $100 million solar farm at the Woodvale evaporation ponds complex, north of Bendigo. GBM Gold Ltd wants to create a 60 megawatt solar power plant as it looks to re-purpose the ponds, which have been home to groundwater pumped as part of gold mining activities beneath Bendigo and associated dewatering processes. GBM Gold Limited chief executive officer John Harrison said the large-scale project, which still requires approval, would improve Bendigo’s resilience to electricity grid problems, and was also in line with state and local government renewable energy policies. “This project could provide significant long-term environmental and economic benefits to the Bendigo community with an improvement in energy security and an estimated 100 jobs created during construction.” He said the ponds enjoyed excellent sun exposure, were not readily visible to adjacent houses, and were also located close to where power is needed. “We’ve been looking for an alternate use for some
time, and we have now found that alternate use.” Mr Harrison said the company wanted to transform the Woodvale ponds into a 60MW solar power plant, which will be directed straight into Bendigo. “It is a very exciting project, not just for us, but for the people of Bendigo and it will supply, on a good day, most of the power that Bendigo needs.” The company remains in discussions with potential joint venture partners, and Mr Harrison said he was optimistic a deal would be made. “In the current climate there is a lot of money for renewables and we are very confident the money will come for this project.” The project would be connected to the sub-transmission network in Bendigo via a 66kV power line, and would tie into a new sub-station to be built on some of the rehabilitated 174 hectare pond complex at Woodvale. The ponds have been redundant since 2016, when groundwater was instead processed through a water treatment plant. Under GDBM Gold’s proposal, one of the ponds will be retained and would operate as a floating solar facility that also contains rainfall on the site. Continued Page 5 Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
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