The Numurkah Solar Farm, in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley region, is demonstrating how solar energy can deliver a cost-effective solution for energy-intensive manufacturers.
$198m
investment
350,000
solar panels
100 MW
capacity
$60m
CEFC commitment
The Victorian Government and ZEN Energy are long-term partners for Neoen and this project proves that collectively, we are moving towards our aim of delivering sustainable, reliable and competitive energy to all Australians.Franck WoitiezManaging Director, Neoen Australia
Our investment
Neoen developed the $198 million 350,000 panel solar farm on 500 hectares. The solar farm has been operating since 2019. The CEFC committed $60 million in debt finance to the project. The debt finance syndicate for the Numurkah project also included clients managed by Vantage Infrastructure, an independent specialist investment manager, as well as German Landesbank NORD/LB.
CEFC finance was repaid in February 2024. The CEFC continues to support the Numurkah project through its $55 million investment in debt finance for a 1.5GW portfolio of Neoen renewable energy assets.
our impact
Neoen has secured major power supply contracts that will serve both the Laverton steelworks in Melbourne’s west and the Melbourne tram network. Neoen has contracted 60 per cent of the farm’s projected bundled output to renewable energy retailer SIMEC ZEN Energy, a majority-owned subsidiary of the GFG Alliance which operates the Laverton steelworks. SIMEC ZEN Energy will use the energy to support firm retail supply contracts to commercial and industrial customers in Victoria, including the Laverton steelworks.
The Victorian Government has contracted a further 30 per cent of Numurkah’s large-scale generation certificates to support its goal of covering the electricity load of Melbourne’s tram network with solar power. The 100MW (AC) (128 MWp) solar farm in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley region supplies approximately 255,000 MWh of electricity into the national power grid each year. That’s enough solar to power about 42,000 homes.
