Monday 28 January 2008

Wind farm green light: Third stage wins state support

Warrnambool Standard
Friday 25/1/2008 Page: 2

THE third stage of Portland's wind farm development has been given the green light. Pacific Hydro can build 22 wind turbines on Cape Nelson after the State Government confirmed its approval yesterday. The site is part of a $330 million four-site project, which is Australia's largest wind farm development. Stage one of the project at Yambuk is operational, with construction well under way at Cape Bridgewater.

Acting Planning Minister Peter Batchelor said Cape Nelson's generators would provide 44 megawatts to the state's electricity grid. He said the overall project would provide enough renewable energy to power a city the size of Geelong. The site brings the number of approved wind farms in Victoria to 13, in addition to the five currently operating.

"The next stage of this project is significant as the Portland Wind Energy Project will provide enough renewable energy to power more than 100,000 Victorian homes or a city the size of Geelong," Mr Batchelor said. "It will avoid production of around 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - equivalent to taking more than 150,000 cars off the road or planting around three million hectares of plantation forest."

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