News - Release of the RFT for Nillumbik Council's proposed Solar Farm

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Renewable Energy Insights was recently appointed to advise on the tender design for the Nillumbik Council's Solar Farm Project.

The Project reached a key milestone over the weekend with the release of an RFT for the development of a Solar Farm on the former Plenty landfill. The Council is also seeking to purchase electricity and LGCs from the Solar Farm through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

The tender is open until 16 July 2020, with documents available to download from the Nillumbik Tenders website.

The Project is expected to start from September 2020. Should all approvals be granted along the way, the Project would be starting to generate and deliver on its PPA in July 2023.

Project summary

The Nillumbik Shire Council is located to the north of Melbourne (less than 25 kilometres from the CBD) and services an estimated 62,602 residents.

In November 2019, the Council decided to seek offers from the market to develop a solar farm on 6.9 hectares at the former landfill on Yan Yean Road, Plenty.

The scope of the RFT includes:

  • the Development of a Solar Farm;

  • a PPA to provide electricity and LGCs to the Council; and

  • opportunities to deliver other innovative land uses such as:

    • suitable demonstration or trial of technologies on-site;

    • value added land uses such as public EV charging, rainwater collection or agricultural activities; and/or

    • initiatives that deliver benefits to the community (educational/ informational/ economic development/ investment opportunities).

Proposed PPA for electricity and LGCs

The RFT details the Council’s electricity and LGC demand and proposed PPA offtake from the Solar Farm. The tenderers also have the option to include energy storage on-site to meet night-time electricity demand from the Council.

The proposed PPA aims to provide the Council with:

  • cost savings on its current retail electricity arrangements;

  • certainty of price over the PPA period;

  • sustainable and ‘green’ electricity consumption;

  • broad community and local economic development benefits.

The RFT notes that there may be future opportunities to further add to the Council’s initial committed PPA offtake (subject to future negotiations and Project capacity).

Finally, a Retail Electricity Firming Agreement, to be entered into with a Retailer, sits alongside the PPA for the supply of firming electricity to the Council and for the administration of the PPA.

Marilyne Crestias