The Project | Byford Solar Farm

Byford Solar Monitoring Station

The Byford Solar Farm will provide 30MW of renewable energy to WA’s south west grid.

It will generate electricity through turning sunlight into electrical power through arrays of photovoltaic panels, mounted on the ground.

The project is located between Thomas and Abernethy Roads in Oakford about 30km from Perth CBD. It is situated on cleared farm land previously set aside for a high voltage power line corridor.

It will be one of the largest solar farms in WA, developed on approximately 75hectares, providing clean and reliable electricity to the grid via the Byford substation.

Power will be transmitted to the substation through underground cables in the road reserve along Thomas Road.

The power station will also provide many benefits for WA and the local community. The Project will provide zero emission, reliable electricity to homes and businesses on the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). Benefits include:

Zero emission electricity generation;
Additional generating capacity for the SWIS, with the Project producing maximum power when it is needed most – hot summer days;
Reduced draw on coal and gas fired generators; and
Improve the reliability of electricity supply in the south metropolitan region.

In the construction phase, the project will provide up to 200 jobs, which will be a major boost for Byford and the local community. Construction will take approximately eight months. Once commercial operations begin there are expected to be 2-3 full time jobs, with additional contract work for maintenance as required. The project will generate additional revenue for the area through operational costs for the power station.

WestGen is targeting commencement of construction in 2016.