Bodangora wind farm connects to the grid in NSW

The first three turbines from the 113MW Bodangora wind farm in New South Wales have begun exporting to the grid, taking the number of wind farms connected to the grid in NSW to 11.

The first output from the Infigen Energy-owned Bodangora – located near Wellington in the central west – was spotted by Global Roam, our partners in the immensely popular NEM-Watch live energy production widget, and the event was confirmed on the wind farm’s Facebook page.

“Welcome to the NEM, Bodangora Wind Farm! First export of generation to the NEM achieved this week,” the post says. “To date 3 turbines are exporting energy. When fully commissioned the wind farm will feature 33 turbines providing enough output to supply power to up to 49,000 homes each year.”

The bulk of the output (60 per cent) from Bodangora has been contracted to EnergyAustralia under a long term power purchase agreement, while the remainder will be sold on the spot or wholesale market.

The wind farm is just the latest in a number of new wind and solar farm projects being connected to the grid, with more following as the spate of construction that followed the three-year investment drought finally bearing fruit.

According to Global Roam, the 119MW Willogoleche wind farm in South Australia’s mid-north region is also about to connect its first wind turbines, with Crookwell in NSW to follow – and about a dozen new solar plants in Queensland,. NSW and Victoria.

The Bodangora wind farm features 33 GE 3.43 wind turbines, and financing was provided by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Nord/LB.