Power for the future Wind turbines bring green energy to 53,000 homes

Adelaide Advertiser
Friday 13/6/2008 Page: 13

EMISSION-FREE electricity generated on the windy hilltops of the state's Mid North is powering 53,000 homes. Energy retailer AGL and Premier Mike Rann will today officially launch the Hallett Wind Farm, 250km north of Adelaide, as the first of the turbines puts power into the electricity grid. The 45 turbines along the 14.5km ridge make up the first of five stages to be completed by AGL in the Hallett region.

Advertiser Newspapers, as part of its One Degree environmental initiative, has bought the first 100 renewable energy certificates generated by the wind farm, which will offset the company's emissions. Each certificate represents one megawatt hour of renewable energy fed into the electricity grid and prevents one tonne of greenhouse gas pollution from being generated. The amount of clean energy that will be used by the 53,000 households receiving electricity from the wind farm equals a saving of 392,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year.

AGL managing director Michael Fraser said the Mid North was highly suitable for wind developments. "With one wind farm now completed, one under construction and two more currently under investment consideration, the Mid North is confirmed as the hub of Australian wind farm investment," Mr Fraser said.

"Wind energy is the fastest growing global renewable energy source and AGL believes wind will be the most significant renewable technology able to provide the scale required to satisfy our country's renewable energy requirements for the next decade." The first stage of the wind farm took 18 months to build and has employed 100 people, many local farmers and tradespeople.

Some interstate workers, including lead installation technician Adrian Sliwa, 29, from Melbourne, have spent the past 18 months living in the region and have joined local sporting and community groups. Mr Sliwa said the community had been very welcoming of the project and its workers. "I've made a lot of good friends here and I think it has been good for the community," he said. "It's been great for the bakery, the hotel and other businesses in the town." Under stage one alone, six people will be permanently employed for the life of the project. South Australia generates almost 50 per cent of the nation's wind power.