Wind farm to power homes by early 2009

Canberra Times
Saturday 31/3/2007 Page: 4

Construction of a 63-turbine wind farm near Bungendore is due to begin late this year, with electricity production expected by the first quarter of 2009. But another wind farm project at Hall has been cancelled and a 25-turbine farm near Tarago remains on hold. Development approval for the Bungendore project, to be the largest wind farm in NSW and estimated to produce enough electricity for 52,000 houses, was given last November.

Yesterday chief executive officer of Renewable Power Ventures David Griffin said the project, which would cost about $300 million, would certainly go ahead but would not say whether a purchaser for electricity from the wind farm had been confirmed.

Despite strong opposition to the project by residents, it was supported by the Palerang Council and by Conservation Council South East Region and Canberra director Trish Harrup. When the wind farm begins producing electricity, two of its strongest critics, Bill and Julie Gray, plan to be living elsewhere. They now live about 2km from the site of the nearest proposed turbine. Mr Gray's greatest concern was the lack of debate over wind farms.

He said the technology was unproven and there was no evidence to show how much electricity the farms produced, but people felt they had to do something to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"In Australia, we have the greatest solar source, but we want to go down the path of wind farms." Though other wind firms, including the Tarago project, are at best on hold, Mr Griffin said initiatives by the Victorian and NSW governments would ensure a large requirement for renewable electricity. Wind would take up a large proportion of that supply.

Though the Federal Government's Mandatory Renewable Energy Target has effectively been achieved, several jurisdictions have established their own targets. The NSW Government plans a renewable energy target of 10 per cent of the state's end use consumption by 2010 and 15 per cent by 2020.

Meanwhile, a 25-turbine wind farm on the Woodlawn and Pylara properties near Tarago remains stalled, despite having obtained development approval in October 2005. ActewAGL is a joint-venture partner in that project. ActewAGL general manager of business systems Carsten Larsen said its proposed wind farm at Mt Spring, near Hall, had been cancelled.

"We could not make the economics work," he said. There was still no purchaser for electricity from the Tarago project. Its immediate future would depend on the price at which NSW set mandatory renewable energy certificates. The Federal Government's certificates could be sold for about $44 per megawatt hour, which offset the extra cost of wind-generated electricity. "The Tarago site will go ahead when the economics are right," Mr Larsen said.