AGL Energy and Powering Australian Renewables have reached full power at the 200MW Silverton wind farm in the state of New South Wales.
The A$450m (€270m) project features 58 GE 3.4MW turbines with 130-metre-rotors and is expected to generate about 780,000 megawatt-hours.
About 150 jobs were generated during construction and 10 full-time jobs created to cover operations.
Connection work included a 25km transmission line from an existing substation.
AGL project director Adam Mackett said: “This is one of the largest wind farms in Australia and is located in a fantastic spot for wind-generated energy in the Barrier Ranges of NSW, 25 kilometres north of Broken Hill.
“The turbines have been generating at night and now have clearance to generate in the day.
“We’d like to thank AEMO and Transgrid who have worked to resolve issues around the Western Murray constraint.
“The teams involved have done an amazing job in delivering this project and we thank them for their efforts.”
Powering Australian Renewables is a partnership between QIC, Future Fund and AGL to invest in 1GW of large-scale renewable energy projects.
Powering Australian Renewables chief executive Geoff Dutaillis said: “Today’s milestone of generating at full capacity at Silverton provides for it to make a meaningful contribution to Australia’s transition to a clean energy future.
“This also marks the completion of Powering Australian Renewables’ first development project, and puts us on track to be a leading investor in, and owner of large-scale renewable energy assets in Australia.”
Mackett added: “AGL and Powering Australian Renewables have been working closely with the local community and we look forward to our ongoing relationships in the coming years.
“We are aiming to deliver community wide benefits, encourage innovation in and support for issues of community significance.
“In 2018, a Silverton Community Fund was established which aims to assist residents to reduce their electricity bills and help with water management in times of drought.
“We intend to hold a community open day to mark the milestone later in the year, when the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have been eased.
“The project is expected to increase Gross Regional Product by over A$700m during the life of the project which is a great outcome for the Far West region of NSW.”