Overseas company could monitor farm

Colac Herald
Friday 22/2/2008 Page: 8

Scientists in Germany will be able to monitor the site of a proposed Colac district wind farm thanks to a new wind mast. Workers have finished installing a new 100-metre-high wind mast at Mount Gellibrand, north-east of Colac. The tower will end wind readings via mobile modems to Germany for analysis.

Wind farm spokesman Tim Gore said the tower would "possibly" become a permanent feature on the wind farm. "A wind farm could be managed from anywhere in the world," Mr Gore said. "This wind tower could be here permanently to measure wind speeds through the farm," he said. Mr Gore said it took three days to construct the wind mast. "This is all about micro siting of the wind turbines and finding out the best position to place them," he said.

A 60-metre mast on Mooleric Road was the first mast on the farm to measure wind speeds and direction. "This wind mast is good because it is about the same height as the wind turbines will be" Mr Gore said. "We haven't measured wind at 100 metres at this site yet," he said. The proposed 116- turbine wind farm will span approximately eight kilometres by five kilometres and will transfer energy to electricity lines underground. The wind farm's future was uncertain last year when Wind Hydrogen Limited pulled out of a contract to buy the wind farm.

Wind Hydrogen Limited cited lack of government support for renewable energy as its reason for pulling out of the deal. A spokesman for Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman said the Federal Government had set a 20-per-cent renewable energy target. "It creates a much better environment for companies to undertake these ventures," the spokesman said. "The Rudd government has allocated half a billion dollars to a renewable energy fund for research and development so companies or companies combined with academic institutions can be provided with subsidies to undertake much-needed research and development." he said.