WIndfarms blowing a real gale

Adelaide Advertiser
Tuesday 24/2/2009 Page: 33

THE South Australian windfarm industry has exceeded all expectations, becoming one of the largest in the world. Rapid growth is expected to result in it supplying about 30% of the state's power by 2015, while providing significant environmental benefits. Electricity Supply Industry Planning Council chief executive David Swift said the SA windfarm industry was likely to reach a capacity of 1500-2000 MWs by 2015.

This follows rapid growth since the first windfarm, Starfish Hill, was built near Cape Jervis in 2003. Since then, the number of windfarms has grown to nine, with 360 wind turbines and a combined capacity of 739 MWs. A better wind resource, ideal hilly ridges, a good planning regime and low connection costs to the grid are among the reasons for SA's windfarm success. About $2 billion is expected to have been invested in the SA windfarm industry by the end of this year, providing almost 20% of the state's power.

Mr Swift said that by then, its capacity would reach 856 MWs, providing the second highest percentage of windpower generation in the world after only Denmark. "We think its capacity may double in SA in the next six or seven years," Mr Swift said. While the windfarm industry is providing significant economic benefits to SA, the environmental benefits are expected to become increasingly obvious in future.

"In relative terms, we also have a lower carbon footprint than other mainland states, which will be an advantage in the future, with carbon emissions trading," Mr Swift said. "In the past, states with cheap coal have had a significant competitive advantage. "SA emits less carbon because we have more wind and gas energy generation, which will neutralise the lower costs of power generation in states with low-cost coal." Chief executive of the world's fifth-largest wind farm company Suzlon Energy, Dan Hansen, said it had built about half the windfarm capacity in SA.

Mr Hansen said the size of the SA windfarm industry would depend on interstate cooperation and political goodwill. "The system already has world-leading wind penetration, but after 1500 MWs, it will start to have problems with interconnectors to New South Wales and Victoria which are not big enough to take it. "They will need upgrading, as do transmission lines, but if that happens, SA could go to 3000 MWs without any trouble."