Harnessing the wind

Newcastle Herald
Saturday 30/6/2007 Page: 27

ALLEN Dunlop sat on a hill on his Vacy property five years ago and toyed with the idea of having a wind turbine run his water pump. That moment of reflection has led him to commit more than $500,000 for two turbines that will generate enough electricity to power 185 average Australian homes.

Dungog Shire Council has approved an application by Mr Dunlop's company Green Power to erect twin turbines on his Lennoxton Road property, to supply 1100 megawatt hours of power to the national grid. By providing renewable energy, instead of coal-fired electricity, the turbines will reduce climate changing greenhouse gas pollution by 1160 tonnes at year.

When explaining the plan to The Herald this week, Mr Dunlop said he did not do it because he was a "greenie", the project was a straight forward business proposition. He will sell electricity to Country Energy and expects the turbines to pay for themselves within five years. The turbines will also be used to promote his Green Power business to provide turbines.

Mr Dunlop said he hoped to complete a power purchase agreement with Country Energy by the end of July, and have his turbines producing electricity before Christmas. The turbines, with a 45-metre blade tip height, will have the same output as EnergyAustralia's Kooragang turbine. Mr Dunlop said he had already spent about $380,000 on the project to buy secondhand towers and rotors from Holland, have then inspected, overhauled and shipped to Australia.

Dungog Shire Council environmental services manager Terry Kavanagh said approval required the turbines to comply with a multitude of guidelines, including visual and noise limits, shadow flicker, blade glint, bird strike and electromagnetic interference.