Work still paused at Squadron Energy’s Clarke Creek Wind Farm, Central QLD

It has been more than a month since contractors were told to pack up tools at one of the state’s biggest wind farm project but its operators have remained tight lipped on when work will restart.

The first wind turbines at Gladstone Harbour ahead of their transport through the city on their way to the Clarke Creek Wind and Solar Farm project northwest of Rockhampton. Picture: Nilsson Jones

It has now been more than a month since work stopped at the $3 billion Clarke Creek Wind Farm between Rockhampton and Mackay and it remains unclear when construction will resume.

Work ceased at the construction site 150km northwest of Rockhampton in early May, in the wake of Squadron Energy acquiring CWP Renewables.

It is understood contractors and workers were given no notice or explanation but were told to stop work on Wednesday, May 10.

It came just a week after a successful trial run was held of the first blade and tower component loads from Gladstone Port to the project site.

The wind turbine blades measures 210 metres from the ground to top and the rotor diameter is 157 metres.

The 300km trip was conducted at night on trucks with escorts from police.

Dignitaries conducting the sod turning at the groundbreaking ceremony of the $3 billion Clarke Creek Wind Farm on July 6.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the wind farm site in July last year to ceremoniously launch construction of the energy project.

The project spans across 76,300 hectares of eight private landholdings and will be the largest grid-connected renewable energy project in Australia.

Once completed, it is estimated to create enough energy to power 40,000 Queensland homes.

Stage one, which was what was under construction, included 100 wind turbines that would provide around 450MW of green energy.

350 construction jobs will be created during Stage 1 of the Clarke Creek Wind Farm project.

Squadron Energy was contacted on June 9 by this publication, requesting an update on the status of the project, however, the response given was the same statement given to media the month beforehand when the work stopped.

The response, attributed to chief executive Jason Willoughby, stated Squadron Energy had the “in-house capability available to manage construction of its own projects, following the acquisition of CWP Renewables”.

Squadron Energy’s Jason Willoughby. Picture: Supplied

“As a result, we are working with Windlab to transition the delivery management of Clarke Creek Wind Farm from Windlab to Squadron Energy,” it read.

“As part of the handover to Squadron Energy, we are briefly pausing work and doing a full project management review before on-site activity increases when component deliveries begin.

“All agreements with contractors remain in place and will continue. We understand the impact pausing work can have and we will keep contractors updated on when they can get back on site.

“The project management review is examining all aspects of best practice delivery including biodiversity, safety and cultural heritage plans.

Squadron Energy is an arm of Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Tattarang business, which owns 36 per cent of Fortescue Metals Group.

Squadron Energy acquired CWP Renewables in December 2022, with the deal to have been for more than $4 billion, beating out bids from some of the biggest asset companies in the world and putting the company on the map to become the country’s largest renewable energy generator.

The acquisition added to Squadron Energy’s portfolio of wind farms with about 1.1GW of generation capacity in operations and constructions and 1.3GW in potential developments across Australia.

Operating wind farms by CWP Renewables include Murra Warra in Victoria and Bango and Sapphire in New South Wales.

Originally published as Work still paused at Squadron Energy’s Clarke Creek Wind Farm, Central QLD