Western Australia’s Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Energy and Industrial Relations, Bill Johnston, officially opened APA Group’s Badgingarra Wind Farm (BWF) on 2 May 2019.
Located at Hill River, 220km north of Perth, the $315 million wind farm consists of 37 wind turbines capable of generating 130MW of energy, generating enough power to meet the needs of more than 115,000 homes, with the potential to save more than 420,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
The wind farm output is secured by a long-term agreement with Alinta Energy for the purchase of all the energy and Large-scale Renewable Generation Certificates (LGCs) generated by the wind farm through to December 2035.
The Badgingarra Wind Farm is an important project for Western Australia, as it will supply a significant amount of renewable energy to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), and represents a key milestone in APA’s renewable energy development in Western Australia.
The wind farm is part of APA’s renewable energy precinct in Western Australia, which is set to produce up to 247.5MW of energy from APA’s existing 80MW Emu Downs Wind Farm and 20MW Emu Downs Solar Farm, and the 17.5MW Badgingarra Solar Farm, which is due for completion in mid-2019.
APA Group CEO and Managing Director, Mick McCormack, said, “The opening of the Badgingarra Wind Farm marks an important step in APA Group’s growth strategy and is testament to an outstanding collaborative effort between Alinta; Western Power; Siemens, our construction partner; the Australian Energy Market Operator; and the APA team, which worked tirelessly to deliver this project.
“APA strongly believes in the significant role renewables will play in Australia’s energy future, as part of a portfolio solution alongside reliable energy sources like gas. Australia needs to reduce its carbon emissions and the Badgingarra Wind Farm has a key role to play, as part of APA’s renewable energy precinct in Western Australia.
“The Badgingarra Wind Farm is one of the largest green energy initiatives in Western Australia and will have significant positive environmental impacts, as well as already enhancing local employment and business opportunities in the surrounding towns and communities.
“I particularly welcome the strong local support APA Group received today from Western Australia’s Energy Minister, the Honourable Bill Johnston; the local member for the Agricultural Region, the Honourable Laurie Graham; and Shane Love, member for Moore; and representatives from our local councils, who understand the critical role renewable energy plays in building and sustaining economic prosperity in regional Australia.”
Minister Johnston, said, “I’d like to congratulate APA Group and everyone else involved with the construction of the Badgingarra Wind Farm. It’s well recognised that a major transformation is underway in Western Australia’s electricity sector, with rapid uptakes of rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems in households.
“This transition is expected to continue in the coming decades and is being replicated in electricity sectors all over the world. Projects such as Badgingarra illustrate the great potential we have in Western Australia to take advantage of these changes, particularly in creating valuable regional opportunities.”
