Ready for some quotes? Enter your postcode now

Preparatory works for Melbourne Water’s Winneke Treatment Plant solar farm are about to begin.

Built at Sugarloaf Reservoir in Christmas Hills in 1980, Winneke was the first plant to supply Melbourne with fully treated water; and today it provides around a quarter of Melbourne’s drinking water.

Water treatment and delivery is an energy-intensive affair, as is sewage treatment – the utility also processes more than 90% of the city’s sewage. The Victorian water sector overall represents the single largest contributor to total State Government carbon emissions.

Among actions to reach a goal of halving its emissions by 20251, Melbourne Water is about to have a 9 MW solar farm consisting of approximately 20,000 solar panels covering an area of 10 hectares constructed along the northern shore of Sugarloaf Reservoir.

A 9MW solar farm in that location could be expected to generate approximately 11.7 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually; more if the solar panels are installed on trackers. This “behind-the-meter” clean power station will cut the Winneke Treatment Plant’s carbon emissions by up to 12,000 tonnes per year. 

Melbourne-based Beon Energy Solutions is building the facility and will make a start on early works very soon – likely next week if it hasn’t already begun. Among this work is the establishing a site office and tree protection zones, temporary and permanent fencing, further site survey work and delivery of construction facilities.

Melbourne Water says the project will involve an expected construction timeframe of 12 months, with the solar farm to be operational by early to mid-2023.

The Winneke Treatment Plant project is big, but dwarfed by the utility’s 18MW PV project at the Eastern Treatment Plant in Bangholme currently under construction, which will be among the biggest behind-the-meter solar installations in Australia when it is completed.

The first row of solar panels was installed back in September last year. While there has been little news since, Melbourne Water said in September the facility – also being built by Beon Energy Solutions – is expected to be done and dusted by the middle of this year.

These two solar facilities combined are expect to crank out 44.6 gigawatt-hours of solar electricity per year and will build on existing renewables in Melbourne Water’s stable, including 14 mini-hydro power stations generating 60 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. The utility also captures biogas from sewage treatment that is then used for electricity generation; contributing 80% of the Western Treatment Plant’s and 30% of the Eastern Treatment Plant’s electricity needs.

Melbourne Water’s other recent climate related activities include joining the UN-led Race To Zero campaign in November last year, alongside 12 other Australian water utilities – all of which have pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier. In Melbourne Water’s case, it is investigating the potential to reach net zero by 2030.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since.

Please keep the SolarQuotes blog constructive and useful with these 4 rules:

1. Real names are preferred - you should be happy to put your name to your comments. 2. Put down your weapons. 3. Assume positive intention. 4. If you are in the solar industry - try to get to the truth, not the sale. 5. Please stay on topic.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Read The Good Solar Guide Free Online!

Ready to get quotes for solar?

Get up to 3 FREE quotes through our service

We carefully pre-vet All of

Our installers and your quotes are zero-obligation

Download the first chapter of The Good Solar Guide, authored by SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock, FREE! You’ll also start receiving the SolarQuotes weekly newsletter, keeping you up to date on all the latest developments on Australia’s solar scene.

We respect your privacy and you can opt out from the newsletter at any time.