Second largest wind Farm in WA

Central Midlands & Coastal Advocate
Thursday 16/11/2006 Page: 1

PREMIER Alan Carpenter officially opened Western Australia's second biggest wind farm on Friday.

Located 30 kilometres east of Cervantes on Bibby Road in Badgingarra the $180 million Emu Downs Wind Farm has 48 wind turbines and will generate 80 megawatts of renewable energy. The desalination plant will also be the largest facility of its kind in the world to be powered by renewable energy. The wind farm is set to power Perth's new $387 million seawater desalination plant in Kwinana.

The Premier said the wind farm was a big step towards meeting the State Government's six per cent renewable energy target for WA's main electricity grid, the South-West Interconnected System (SWIS), by 2010.

"The Emu Downs Wind Farm will produce electricity equivalent to powering 50,000 homes and will reduce greenhouse emissions by about 220,000 tonnes each year - the same as taking over 50,000 cars off the road," Mr Carpenter said. "When we announced our (renewable energy) policy at the beginning of 2005, renewable energy accounted for approximately 1.5 per cent of the SWIS.

"That figure has since risen to just over four per cent, with the Emu Downs Wind Farm set to further boost that figure to well over five per cent." Mr Carpenter congratulated the project developers Griffin Energy and Stanwell Corporation on commissioning the facility and using local labour where possible.

"The contractors have collectively injected $10 million into the regional economy, $2 million has been spent locally through employment wages and service procurement and the project management team has spent approximately $1.75 million in the area by way of support to local businesses," he said.

Griffin Energy executive general manager power generation Wayne Trumble agreed it was a major milestone for Griffin and the state. "Emu Downs Wind Farm represents Griffin's long-term commitment to providing environmentally sound and sustainable green energy solutions for WA," he said.

Stanwell acting chief executive officer Gary Humphreys said the wind farm would provide an economic benefit to the local regional and state economy. "Emu Downs Wind Farm will increase visitor numbers to the area, generating greater tourism and local employment opportunities for the region," he said.

The two-year project involved feasibility studies and consultation on matters of wind monitoring, impacts on amenity and wildlife, and compatibility with the regional telecommunications system.

Since 2001 eight wind farms have been installed around WA including Esperance, Rottnest Island, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Albany, Exmouth and Walkaway. The Government has also announced three cyclone-proof wind turbines to be built at Coral Bay costing $9.6 million and using new technology developed in WA.

A renewable energy strategy, which will include a target for 2020, will be released early next year.