DEVELOPERS want to build a big solar power farm on the outskirts of Katherine.
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A Sydney-based renewable energy company has made a development application to build the farm alongside the Stuart Highway, about five kilometres north-west of the township.
Solar panels would straddle about 75 hectares of largely cleared land and be fed back into the Northern Territory electricity grid via the Katherine sub-station in Zimin Drive.
Epuron, a well credentialed medium scale solar farm builder, has formed a company called Katherine Solar Pty Ltd.
The company would use the photo-voltaic panels which are familiar to people using them either to feed into the grid or to heat water on house roofs.
Epuron has developed and constructed a number of wind and solar projects.
It has built solar PV farms at Alice Springs, Ti Tree and Ayers Rock resort.
The public has until December 14 to comment on the development application.
“The maximum expected project size is 25 megawatts,” the project documents state.
Solar experts say 25 megawatts could be enough power for the entire needs of about 4000 homes.
While the project documents state a barrier of trees would be grown between the farm’s ground-mounted panels and the highway, the farm could still become a tourist attraction.
The project will require a power line connection with the town’s sub-station, a distance of five kilometres.
It is not yet decided whether the power line will travel above or below ground.