Wind of change is a capital idea

Daily Telegraph
Tuesday 17/11/2009 Page: 42

THE windfarm to power Sydney's desalination plant starts work this week and owner Infigen Energy said similar projects would drive the company's growth. The 67-turbine Capital Wind Farm, near Bungendore, east of Canberra, will be the state's largest windfarm, more than five times the size of any other, Infigen Energy said. The windfarm, opening tomorrow, can generate 140.7 MWs, enough to power 60,000 homes, although average output is expected to be slightly more than one third of full capacity.

Most of the windfarm's output will power Sydney Water's desalination plant at Kurnell, in Sydney's south, under a deal done last year. Infigen Energy managing director Miles George said the desalination plant would use 40MW of electricity when it starts this summer, and any leftover power from the farm would go into the national electricity grid. The opening marks a major milestone for Infigen Energy, formerly known as Babcock and Brown Wind Partners until a management internalisation in April this year.

With four Australian wind farms working, another being built and 12 in its project pipeline, Infigen Energy said federal government renewable energy targets will be the main driver for its future growth. Plans to sell Infigen Energy's windfarm assets in the US, Germany and France were on track.