Wind farm turbines set to be connected

South Eastern Times
Thursday 11/1/2007 Page: 3

THE first two of the 53 turbines which comprise the second stage of the multi-million dollar Lake Bonney wind farm have been erected and will be connected to the national grid after this month. They are expected to be "energised" (commissioned) in the first week of February.

The latest turbines will each generate three megawatts of power and this will be the equivalent of the needs of up to 3,000 households. The 46 turbines in Lake Bonney stage one only have a generating capacity of 1.75 megawatts.

Construction personnel engaged by Babcock and Brown Wind Partners have placed the latest two turbines in close proximity to the existing structures on Poonada Road and Thiele Road, west of Tantanoola.

The two newest turbines are distinctive as they are larger than their predecessors and are currently non-operational. Other turbines are currently in the process of being erected nearby as their towers, nacelles and blades are on site, along with cranes and associated construction apparatus.

There is no public access to the construction sites. The construction team erects an average of three turbines per fortnight.

In contrast to Lake Bonney stage one, the towers for stage two are not passing through Mount Burr, Millicent Agricultural Bureau Drive and Tantanoola en route to the wind farm. This is because the stage two towers have been manufactured in Portland.

An official ceremony to mark the commencement of Lake Bonney stage two was held on site last month and attended by Energy Minister Patrick Conlon and officials from Wattle Range Council and Babcock and Brown Wind Partners.

Preliminary siteworks got underway in June for the 53 turbine towers, being erected along the Woakwine Range to the south of Lake Bonney stage one. Stage two involves a local workforce of between 30 and 50.

When completed in late 2007 or early 2008, the first two stages of the windfarm will have 99 wind turbines, generate almost 240 megawatts and will be the largest operational windfarm in the Southern Hemisphere.

The nearby Canunda windfarm, with 23 wind turbines, is operated by a separate company, International Power.