The Department of Defence has launched an 11 MW solar farm at the Robertson Barracks in the Northern Territory.

The initiative marks the largest solar installation on a Defence base in the country; a key step in the Department’s sustainable energy transition.

Located approximately 15 kilometres east of Darwin, the Robertson Barracks solar farm consists of over 27,000 solar panels and includes a 2.5 MW battery energy storage system. 

The facility is set to provide about 40 per cent of the base's energy requirements, significantly reducing its dependence on traditional power sources.

“This will take pressure off the local energy grid for Territorians and it will supply the energy needs of the base,” said Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite.

The excess energy generated by the solar farm will be channelled into the Darwin grid, offering a renewable energy source to local households and businesses.

The project was developed under a power purchase agreement with Capella Capital, with construction giant Lendlease handling the engineering, procurement, and construction aspects. Lendlease will also oversee the operation and maintenance of the solar farm.

The project is part of a broader $64 million Defence Renewable Energy and Energy Security Program, which aims to implement similar renewable energy initiatives across Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia.

“Ensuring that we can maintain energy security through renewable energy projects such as this is really important to the capability and the protection of our nation into the future,” said Thistlethwaite. 

Plans are reportedly underway for a 1.4 MW solar farm at Harts Range, also in the NT, set to come online later this year, alongside exploratory works at other Defence sites across the country.