On Friday, Uralla's deputy mayor Isabel Strutt and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall joined the CEO of UP/AC Renewables, Anton Rohner, to turn the first sod at the site.

The $768 million solar farm and battery system, which will be able to power as many as half-a-million NSW homes, won a grid connection agreement last year.

During construction the project will employ 350 people.

Mr Rohner said it had been a long journey to get to this stage.

Read also:

Three-and-a-half years have passed since the company signalled its intention to build the renewables project, and walked the land with landholders.

Since then they have come up with a design, with solar panels 1.5m off the ground, which will allow grazing and the solar farm to coexist.

Mr Marshall commented on this at the sod turning ceremony, saying it had set a standard for how renewable energy companies should engage with rural communities.

"It can be on agricultural land, but it doesn't mean we stop agricultural production," Mr Marshall said.

The project was approved by the Independent Planning Commission 12 months ago, prompting Mr Marshall to say that Uralla had not seen such potential since the gold rush.

More than three dozen workers are now on-site undertaking earthworks and road and drainage construction across nine kilometres of local roads before work can begin on the solar farm site.

"The local community, our project landowners and civic leaders have been very supportive of the project over the past three years," Mr Rohner said.

"We're extremely excited to see construction start and the opportunities that are being returned and created for local business and workers.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE EMAILS FEATURING THE BEST LOCAL NEWS AND STORIES, AS WELL AS OUR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

"Once fully complete, the solar farm and battery project will be Australia's largest hybrid solar and battery energy storage facility. It will play an important role in the energy transition already underway across the country."

The 720-megawatt New England Solar Farm will see 2.4 million solar panels installed on farm land just six kilometres east of Uralla.

Meanwhile, the battery attached to the solar farm will have enough juice to power the entire city of Armidale for about four hours.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: