Melbourne plans to run trams on solar power

Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world and it could soon be running on solar power. One initiative is Project Traction, the proposed USD 70 million 40MW solar project to power Melbourne’s trams. 130,000 sun tracking solar panels installed at two sites in Victoria – Mildura and Swan Hill – would collectively crank out 80GWh of clean electricity annually. This level of generation would reduce carbon emissions by more than 100,000 tonnes a year.
An initiative of Australian Solar Group (ASG), Project Traction would be privately funded by equity and debt.
“The project now requires a Power Purchase Agreement from Public Transport Victoria in order to proceed,” said said the company’s co-founder, Dave Holland.
A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), is a long term contract to purchase electricity generated by a solar panel system.
ASG says the entire project can be completed within a year and the first power from Swan Hill produced within 6 months of an agreement being signed.