Australia’s biggest wind project to double in size to create first 2GW precinct

Australia’s Sunshine State is rapidly making a name for itself in wind power, unveiling plans on Monday for what the state government claims will be one of the largest onshore wind projects in the world, with a new 1GW project to be developed by Acciona.

The $2 billion, 180-turbine Herries Range Wind Farm will be built within the MacIntyre Wind Precinct, in the Southern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone, taking the precinct’s total generation capacity to more than 2,000MW (2GW).

Herries Range will be built alongside the 923MW MacIntyre wind farm and the government-owned energy company CleanCo’s proposed 100MW Karara Wind Farm, which is being built at the same location.

The MacIntyre wind farm – already under construction – is 70 per cent owned by Acciona, with a 30 per cent stake held by Korea Zinc subsidiary, Ark Energy. CleanCo’s Karara Wind Farm is state government owned.

No off take deal yet

The new 1GW Herries Range project is currently owned entirely by Acciona and – at this stage – has no offtake deals lined up, the company says.

Acciona’s managing director in Australia, Brett Wickham, says the new project takes total investment in the Queensland wind precinct to $4 billion.

“We are massively changing from a coal-fired power state … to a renewable energy future, and Queenslanders back that,” said Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday at a press conference to announce the new project.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flanked by Acciona’s Brett Wickam (left) and energy minister Mike de Brenni (centre right).

“Ever since we released our Queensland Energy and Jobs plan we are seeing massive investment.

“Acciona Energia is one of the world’s leading developers of renewable energy projects and this additional $2 billion commitment is a strong endorsement that Queensland is a renewable energy superpower.

Massive investment for massive change

“This deal also demonstrates that our bold vision to deliver an energy system that is made up of 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032, has boosted investor interest,” Palaszczuk said.

“An extra 180 wind turbines are going out into the Western Downs, which makes this one of the largest wind farm precincts in the Southern Hemisphere,” the premier said.

“And of course it means jobs for Queenslanders.”

With the addition of Herries Range, the MacIntyre wind precinct will be the biggest power station in Queensland – eclipsing the state’s largest coal-fired power station at Tarong near Kingaroy, which has a nameplate capacity of 1400MW.

“At 360 turbines in total, it’ll be the biggest wind farm in the country, by a country mile,” said Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick on Monday.

“Four times bigger than next largest wind farm”

“And it will generate four times as much power as the next largest wind farm in the country.”

Acciona’s Wickham says the company’s goal is to “roll from construction of MacIntyre straight into the neighboring Herries Range,” moving hundreds of workers from one large scale project to the next.

“It shows that we can build renewables at scale – 2000 megawatts – in one location,” he told a press conference at the announcement of the project in Queensland on Monday morning.

“You know people have been talking about nuclear in recent times… I can build you five times the amount of nuclear for the same price in about 20 per cent of the time.

“With this project we expect to dramatically accelerate the decarbonisation of Queensland’s electricity grid,” Wickham said.

Jobs, growth …and green manufacturing

Queensland’s deputy premier Steven Miles says the 180-turbine Herries Range project will support up to 600 additional jobs during construction.

“The first two wind farms within the MacIntyre Wind Precinct… were already expected to support 400 construction jobs,” Miles said.

“And that’s always been in addition to the 220 workers needed to build Powerlink’s transmission infrastructure that, as part of our new SuperGrid, will deliver the clean energy from MacIntyre Wind Precinct where and when it’s needed.”

Palaszczuk says her government is also working to establish the manufacture of wind turbines in the state, within a “few years.”

“Queensland wants products made in Queensland, and we’re determined to do it,” she told the press conference.

“So like I said, it will take a few years to scale it up, but we’ve got to set the landscape. We’ve got the plan, and now we will get the investment to go with that plan.”