Construction of a 2.14MW solar power plant near Eugowra is expected to begin mid-January and take about six weeks.

Cabonne Council has taken delivery of 4392 solar panels and two 2.75MW battery energy storage systems, an update to councillors’ December meeting said.

There were some final items to be delivered for the contractor at the time of the report – to the 16 December meeting – but construction was anticipated to begin mid-month.

Testing and commissioning of the plant, which is to be built on Casuarina Drive on the same lot as the Eugowra Sewer Treatment Plant, is now scheduled for May / June of this year.

The plant will provide enough electricity to offset the council’s electricity use as well as pay back the council’s investment and generate income in future, Cabonne Council general manager Brad Byrnes explained last year.

The plant has been in the planning since 2020, with the then State Government announcing $1.5 million in funding to support it in February 2023

It puts Cabonne on the pathway to meeting legislative requirements to lower emissions in the long term.

The council will at this stage only require about half the power it generates, the balance will be available to the electricity market.

The battery is key to the viability of the plant, enabling the council to release electricity to the market when it’s most advantageous.