Central Highlands wind farm plan to boost clean energy production

TASMANIA is taking steps to become the nation’s green power battery with a massive wind farm project in the Central Highlands given a green light.

A new wind farm proposed for the state’s Central Highlands would boost wind power generation in Tasmania by about 50 per cent.

TASMANIA is taking steps to become the nation’s green power battery with a massive wind farm project in the Central Highlands given a green light and another on the West Coast imminent.

The State Government, Aurora and Chinese turbine manufacturer Goldwind have reached an in-principle agreement for the $300 million, 49 turbine wind farm developed at Wild Cattle Hill, near Waddamana, about 50km west of Oatlands in the Central Highlands. Construction is expected to start in September.

Energy Minister Matthew Groom said the project would create 150 jobs during construction and about 10 jobs when completed in 2020.

“The wind farm will generate 144MW, enough to power over 60,000 homes and increase wind generation capacity in Tasmania by nearly 50 per cent,” Mr Groom said.

He said he hoped to make an announcement about an exciting proposal for Granville Harbour soon.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to capitalise on the building momentum for more renewable energy generation and the Hodgman Government is seizing it.’’

The project, near Lake Echo, will enable Tasmania to meet its national Renewable Energy Target.

The site of a proposed wind farm at Granville Harbour on the state’s West Coast.

The Granville Harbour wind project would create about 200 jobs in construction and another 40-50 wind tower manufacturing jobs at Haywards, in Launceston.

The Westcoast Wind project has been on the drawing board for several years and looked shaky during uncertainty at federal level over the Renewable Energy Target. But the mood in Canberra in relation to wind energy has changed significantly.

In Launceston in April, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the Australian Renewable Energy Agency would contribute $2.5 million for a study into expanding Tasmania’s potential for producing and storing more hydro and wind power.

Mr Turnbull said some of the new wind farms Australia needed would be built in Tasmania and the state could store the electricity generated by new projects on the mainland.

He said a second Bass Strait interconnector cable to transport more power to the mainland would be vital to the energy plan.

Goldwind says its Cattle Hill Wind Farm would benefit from a second interconnector and many other Tasmanian projects could be realised if it was built.

Opposition energy spokesman Scott Bacon congratulated Goldwind on striking a deal with Aurora.

“We’ve been arguing for the Government to be proactive when it comes to renewable energy projects. This is the first significant renewable energy project announced in this term of government,” he said.