Neoen to forge ahead with Ravenshoe wind farm despite NAIF funding veto
The company behind a $370 million Ravenshoe wind farm, blackballed by Northern Australian Minister Keith Pitt, has made a call about the future of the project without federal financial support.
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THE company behind a $370m Ravenshoe wind farm project blackballed by Northern Australian Minister Keith Pitt is optimistic the project will go ahead without federal financial support.
On Wednesday Mr Pitt exercised veto powers to block French firm Neoen from receiving Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) funding for the Kaban Green Energy Hub at Ravenshoe, about 120km west of Cairns.
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Neoen received loan approval in December following a deal struck with CleanCo Queensland to supply 110MW of wind energy in October 2020.
The project would create 250 local jobs about 6km northeast of Ravenshoe.
Neoen Australia managing director Louis de Sambucy was “disappointed” to hear NAIF would not proceed with the funds for the scheme.
“(However) our focus remains on delivering Kaban,” he said.
“Neoen remains committed to Kaban and the opportunities it presents for energy affordability, reliability and emissions reductions in Queensland.
“The project combines a 157MW wind farm contracted with CleanCo at a competitive electricity price, with a network improvement in Far North Queensland. Our focus remains on delivering Kaban.
“We are now actively exploring all options and are hopeful of announcing a positive pathway forward in upcoming days.”
Mr Pitt’s claim the Kaban project was “inconsistent” with a federal government goal to increase power affordability has sparked accusations the project fell victim to “an ideological war” on renewable energy projects.
“I am not convinced that the project will result in lower energy prices,” Mr Pitt wrote in a leaked letter to the head of NAIF.
The wind farm will consist of 28 turbines connected via a new substation into the existing 275kV overhead transmission line.
Energy generation was set to begin in 2023 following a construction kick off originally slated for early 2021.
Labor Senator Murray Watt said only $350m of a $5bn NAIF budget had been released.
“So it’s very disturbing that … NAIF finds a project that it wants to fund and the minister comes in over the top and says they can’t fund it,” he said.
“It’s extremely worrying that we see a minister prepared to take unprecedented action to kill off a wind farm and kill off the jobs.”
Senior campaigner with the climate action group 350 Australia Shani Tager slammed the Morrison government for a perceived support of fossil fuels over green energy.
“Minister Pitt has abused his power in vetoing this project and at the same time he’s pushing amendments through parliament to give himself even more power under the NAIF Act,” she said.
“The NAIF should be used to fund projects that benefit Northern Australia.”
Originally published as Neoen to forge ahead with Ravenshoe wind farm despite NAIF funding veto
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