Risen Energy’s speedy construction of the Merredin Solar Farm is progressing well
Construction of the 132 MWdc Merredin Solar Farm is progressing well and at an extremely speedy pace.
The speed of the solar farm’s civil and mechanical construction has been enabled by good management of finances, great teamwork and strong cooperation between Risen Energy and partners.
They used innovative methods and organisational efficiencies to accelerate the completion of the civil and mechanical works of the solar farm in the span of 3.5 months, making it a remarkable feat.
Efficient procurement processes and Risen Energy’s large capacity allowed rapid delivery of equipment to the site.
Pilecom, a Western Australian company installed the last of the 46,563 steel post foundations on November 8th. The tracking system and solar panels are mounted on these piles.
By early December, the solar farm’s civil and mechanical works were completed by the principal construction contractor, Monford Group. 354,452 PV panels and 4,249 torque tubes were installed, with approximately 60km of cable trenching laid and 22 inverters placed onto their foundations. On-site labour peaked at 425 staff and the speed at which they completed the works was exceptional.Once the field assembly was complete, 300 labour staff demobilised from the site in early December.
Approximately 150 staff remain on-site to continue with electrical works and completion of the solar farm. From now to February 2020, the planned work will include the electrical installation, substation install, electrical testing, O&M Building install and connection to the existing high voltage system.
After completion, approximately 100 staff will be demobilised. The remaining staff will stay on to complete the final electrical installation and testing. This part of the work will continue through to Q2 2020.Throughout all stages of the project, Risen Energy has been working closely with the Merredin Shire Council, the Commander of the local police as well as the Merredin Fire Chief. The Merredin Shire Council gave praise to Risen’s ability to manage such a large work force in their town.The construction staff have used just about every business in the town including the newsagent, bottle shop, butcher, hair salons, restaurants, gift shops, pharmacy and hardware.