Engie Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) has acquired the 420MW Hills of Gold wind farm in the Australian state of New South Wales.
The project, which is located near Nundle, is currently progressing through the planning process.
Engie ANZ will be responsible for developing and operating the A$750m (€452m) facility, after completing the acquisition of project entity Wind Energy Partners.
Hills of Gold will feature up to 70 turbines, each with a generating capacity of up to 6MW.
The project is expected to generate over 215 direct jobs and about 430 indirect jobs during construction phase, starting in early 2022.
Work will include planned upgrades to local roads and waterway crossings and a 33kV/330kV onsite substation connecting to the existing 330kV TransGrid Liddell to Tamworth overhead network via a dedicated line from the wind farm.
About 30 permanent jobs and 50 indirect jobs will be created when operational, Engie said.
Engie ANZ general manager of asset development Andrew Kerley said Hills of Gold would be built with the backing of Engie’s local and global expertise in renewable energy.
He said: “The Hills of Gold wind farm is a quality project that adds renewable energy to the national grid, while also creating local economic activity during construction and operation of the 25-year lifespan of the asset.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity of building Hills of Gold and to working with the local community to unlock the benefits of renewable energy development.”
A Hills of Gold Community Enhancement Fund is to be established, with a commitment of A$2500 per turbine per year installed and operating, expected over a period of at least 25 years.