The state government of Queensland in Australia has given the go-ahead for the 180MW Banana Range wind farm being developed by Orange Creek Energy, a subsidiary of Lacour Energy.
The A$350m project will be located south-west of Gladstone and will create up to 150 construction jobs.
Construction will begin in 2020 and will take approximately two years to complete.
Queensland Minister for Planning Cameron Dick said the new wind farm will boost the total capacity of wind generation approved by the state government to 2240MW.
He said: “The government strongly supports investment in regional projects and the Banana Range wind farm, located 20km west of Biloela, will provide a huge boost for the local economy.”
“With up to 150 construction jobs and up to 15 ongoing jobs, the Banana Range wind farm will not only generate electricity for homes and businesses but will be an economic energy source for the surrounding region.
“Besides the great environmental benefits for Queensland, investment in projects such as this also creates a flow-on economic effect for local businesses and assists in diversifying the town’s economy.
“The Banana Range wind farm will generate around 180MW at capacity, which will power around 120,000 homes, around five times the number of houses in Gladstone.
“The site will be home to 50 turbines, helping us achieve our renewable energy target.”
Lacour Energy director James Townsend said the wind farm is in an area of excellent wind resources with an existing high voltage 132kV transmission line running through the project site, which will connect the wind farm to the power network.
He said: “The onsite powerline and excellent wind resource mean that the project can supply competitively priced electricity.
“The area is known for its strong nighttime winds which is when the wind farm will produce the most energy,and this means the project is very complementary to the daytime energy from rooftop solar and the solar farms that have recently been built in Queensland.
“We estimate there will be an injection of A$30-40m into the regional economy during the construction through the employment of local contractors and service providers.
“In addition to the construction of the wind farm, we are also going to provide $100,000 each year to support projects or initiatives in nearby communities through a community benefits fund.”