Victoria's Solar Farms Are Now Powering the Entire Melbourne Tram Network

Your daily tram commute just got a whole lot more environmentally friendly, thanks to some good ol' sunshine. The state's largest solar farm is now up and running and, together with Victoria's other solar facilities, it's powering Melbourne's entire tram network.

Officially opened last week, Neoen's Numurkah Solar Farm is one of two facilities of its kind in Victoria supplying 100 percent renewable energy to offset the city's huge tram network. Alone, it's set to generate 255,000 megawatt hours of electricity into the national power grid each each year, having scored funding under the Labor Government's Solar Trams Initiative.

So now, you can enjoy cleaner tram rides and a cleaner conscience.

The emission reductions the new solar farm is set to deliver will be equivalent to taking 75,000 cars off the road or planting around 390,000 extra trees.

The solar project is part of the Government's push to boost Victoria's Renewable Energy Target to 40 percent by 2025 and up to 50 per cent by 2030. Along with the Renewable Certificate Purchasing Initiative, this Solar Trams Initiative has helped bring forward construction of around 350 megawatts of new solar and wind energy capacity.

Image: Josie Withers for Visit Victoria