13 September 2023

Whitehaven Solar Farm Project

Whitehaven Coal (Whitehaven) has announced it is preparing a Development Application for a proposed solar photovoltaic electricity generation system (solar farm).

The Whitehaven Solar Farm Project (the Project) would be located adjacent to the existing Narrabri Mine on Whitehaven land, approximately 25km south-east of Narrabri. The Project is expected to generate 26MW of electricity, providing more than one-third of the Narrabri Mine’s electricity and helping to reduce the electricity it consumes from the grid.

While the solar farm will not connect to the grid, it will provide a behind-the-meter solution to supply electricity directly to the Narrabri Mine via the existing electricity transmission line for the remainder of the mine’s operational life.

The Project is expected to create around 65 jobs during peak construction and initial studies indicate it would require a capital investment of approximately $43 million.

Reducing operational emissions

The proposed solar farm is part of Whitehaven’s commitment to reducing its operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Since October 2021, Whitehaven has been purchasing carbon neutral electricity certified by Climate Active across all of its mines, including Narrabri.

The 26MW of electricity generated by the Project will allow the carbon neutral electricity previously consumed by the Narrabri Mine to be dispatched elsewhere in the grid.

Community and stakeholder engagement

The Project will be considered under the NSW Government’s State Significant Development Application process and Whitehaven is committed to ongoing, comprehensive engagement with the community and stakeholders throughout the process.

This includes neighbours, local community members and the Aboriginal community, the Narrabri Mine Community Consultative Committee (CCC), Narrabri Shire Council and relevant government agencies.

The Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be placed on public exhibition by the DPE in due course, which will provide further opportunities for questions and issues to be raised and addressed.

For more information on Whitehaven’s Solar Farm Project visit our website: Whitehaven Solar Farm Project – Whitehaven Coal

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