New details revealed on Mount Hopeful Wind Farm project at Bajool

A multimillion dollar wind farm project is set to employ hundreds during its construction, when works on the facility start next year. See the details here.

New details for one of the Central Queensland region’s biggest renewable energy projects have been revealed, with hundreds of jobs set to be created when construction begins.

A public notice for the Mount Hopeful Wind Farm, which will be built between Bajool and Ulogie, was recently lodged with the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

The notice is a referral, which people can have their say on, for the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act and identifies the potential environmental impacts of the project.

According to the document, the $750 million project would include up to 116 wind turbine generators and associated infrastructure and is expected to be operational for about 30 years.

Each turbine would have an electrical output of about six megawatts, giving the project a total maximum generation capacity of about 700MW.

Each turbine hub will be about 180m in height, with each turbine blade to be about 90m in length.

The blade and hub height will be configured so the total tip height of each wind turbine generator does not exceed 260m.

“The project location was chosen for development because it has a strong wind resource, a nearby high voltage transmission line and a low population density, whilst having access to a strong base of local subcontractors and established transportation corridors,” the proposal says.

“The project will be compatible with existing grazing and agricultural land uses, offering a diverse and consistent form of revenue to involved farmers.”

Associated infrastructure for the project includes up to 10 permanent wind monitoring towers, as well as another 10 temporary ones.

There will also be up to six substations, a battery energy storage system and ancillary electrical infrastructure, as well as up to 6km of high voltage (275 kilovolt) overhead powerlines.

“The project will connect into Powerlink’s existing 275kV transmission line, running from Bouldercombe to Calliope River substations, located to the east of the project,” the document says.

“The construction period is estimated to span 22-30 months (including commissioning and testing activities). The workforce is expected to fluctuate in size throughout this period, with an estimated maximum (peak) construction workforce of 300 employed personnel.”

During the project’s operational life, about 10 permanent full-time jobs are expected to be created.

Once the 30 year operational period has passed the project company Neoen may choose to undergo decommissioning and rehabilitation of the land, or choose to re-power the project by installing new equipment.

The report says the project could have “significant impacts” to greater gliders and northern quolls.

“This species (the gliders) was recorded three times from within or immediately adjacent to the study area, including one record in a patch of eucalyptus moluccana woodland in the study area that intersects the development corridor,” the report says.

“Approximately 43.8 ha of suitable breeding habitat and 904.8 ha of suitable foraging habitat occurs in the development corridor.

“The amount of suitable habitat in the development corridor represents the maximum impact area for the species, noting this area of impact is expected to be 40-50 per cent less as an outcome of the detailed design process.”

The report made similar observations about the quolls.

The project is set to help the Queensland Government achieve its target of 50 per cent renewable generation by 2030 and will also contribute to Australia’s commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

A decision on whether a proposed action requires approval will be made within 20 business days, with the outcome to be made publicly available on the department’s website.

To find out more about the Mount Hopeful Wind Farm project, visit the website.