McCain’s Ballarat Solar and Cogeneration
McCain’s Ballarat Solar and Cogeneration
This 8.2 megawatt (MW) system leverages a combination of solar and co-generation technologies…
McCain Foods Australia, a subsidiary of McCain Foods Limited, is a leading producer of frozen potato products, vegetables, dinners, and pizza, serving both the Retail and Foodservice sectors. The company operates production facilities across three sites: Ballarat in Victoria, Lisarow in New South Wales, and Smithton in Tasmania.
Notably, McCain Foods Ballarat is home to Australia’s largest “behind-the-meter” renewable energy system, significantly offsetting the site’s energy consumption. This 8.2 megawatt (MW) system leverages a combination of solar and co-generation technologies. The setup includes a 17,000-panel ground-mounted and carpark solar array, alongside a co-generation anaerobic digester that converts biogas from food waste into energy. Together, these systems have reduced the Ballarat site’s reliance on natural gas by 16 per cent and grid-sourced energy by 39 per cent.
SEDAC served as the lead contractor for the construction of this renewable energy infrastructure, commencing with the installation of a new energy centre 22kV Ring Main Unit (RMU). From this central RMU, a 2-kilometer network of underground 22kV cabling extends to both the solar and co-generation systems. SEDAC also constructed the substations for both energy generators and the low-voltage heavy current switchboard for the co-generation units.
