Hobart Mercury
Monday 27/9/2010 Page: 10
THE $450 million Musselroe Bay wind farm project is likely to start next year, says Roaring 40s managing director Steve Symons. Mr Symons said the scheme was dependent on a substantial rise in the value of Renewable Energy Target (RET) certificates issued by the Federal Government to assist clean projects. He said certificate values were depressed but a rebound was expected from January, after energy efficiency measures such as solar hot-water heaters were transferred to a separate scheme.
Mr Symons said Musselroe would become viable if values rose, but Roaring 40s would still need to attract finance and secure longterm power supply contracts with stakeholders Hydro Tasmania and TRUEnergy. He said construction could start as soon as June but "we are not prepared to commit to a time line". "We don't want to unnecessarily get people's hopes up", he said. Liberal senator Guy Barnett said his motion calling for action on Musselroe Bay helped pressure the Federal Government to fast-track legislation in July that is intended to stabilise the RET market. Roaring 40s has spent more than $20 million on the $450 million proposal involving 56 turbines delivering up to 168MWs of power.
"This is great news and will be a major boost for the North-East and northern Tasmania in terms of jobs and energy production", Senator Barnett said. "It is expected that the project will bring 180 jobs to the North-East during the construction phase and 40 ongoing positions". Senator Barnett said the likely go ahead was a tremendous shot in the ann for the North-East which in the past decade has suffered from sawmill, vegetable factory and milk factory closures.
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