North West Brisbane’s Coopers Gap Wind Farm has reached a new milestone as it kicks off generating electricity, with the first two turbines now feeding energy into the National Electricity Market.
The $850 million project involves 123 wind turbines in total, which are equipped with blades that are up to 67m long.
AGL CEO, Brett Redman, said achieving first generation for a project this size involves an enormous effort by the many teams who have worked on the wind farm.
“The size and scale of a project like this is extraordinary, and today’s milestone is thanks to the hard work of so many people,” Mr Redman said.
“This is a significant project for AGL and the timing of bringing new generation into the grid is crucial for all energy users.
“We appreciate the support we have received from government agencies in Queensland to navigate the logistic issues experienced during construction.”
AGL General Manager of Gas and Renewables Operations, Colin Mills, said each turbine has a tip height of up to 180m, while a rotor diameter of up to 137m.
“Throughout the construction process, around $56 million has been spent on local businesses and services providers,” Mr Mills said.
“The Coopers Gap Wind Farm, north-west of Brisbane, has a total capacity of 453MW which makes it the largest wind farm by MW capacity currently operating in Australia.”
The project is owned and constructed by the Powering Australian Renewables Fund, a financing initiative created by AGL and QIC. The $2-3 billion fund aims to develop and own approximately 1,000 MW in large-scale renewable generation projects.
“I’d like to thank PARF for its work in this achievement. I’d also like to recognise the efforts of the Australian Energy Market Operator and Powerlink as project partners who helped us get here, along with the support of the local community and local councils,” Mr Mills said