First production delivered from Murra Warra wind farm in Victoria

The first production of what could be – for a time – the largest wind farm in Victoria – started last week when the first turbines of the first stage of the Murra Warra wind farm near Horsham began exporting electricity to the grid.

Murra Warra will total 429MW once its second stage is completed, taking it past the biggest wind farm in the state – Macarthur, at 420MW – although it would be soon overtaken by the 530MW Stockyard Hill project,

Like Stockyard Hill, Murra Warra will be one of the cheapest sources of power in Australia, delivering electricity under long-term contracts to Telstra, and a consortium of customers that includes ANZ, Coca Cola Amatil and the University of Melbourne, as well as Monash University.

The developers described the price at the time of the contract as “stunning”, and is believed to be in line with the also stunning sub-$55/MWh price negotiated by Origin Energy earlier this year for the 530MW Stockyard Hill.

Owners of the Murra Warra wind farm include Macquarie Group, in one of its first big plays in Australian renewables, and renewable energy developer RES Australia.

The wind turbines are being supplied by struggling European wind turbine manufacturer Senvion, which put itself into administration earlier this month as it sought to finalise a €100 million ($A157 million) facility to provide cash flow and give it an opportunity to refocus its operations, particularly in growth markets like Australia.

Senvion is also supplying the Lincoln Gap wind farm in South Australia that is also under construction.

Senvion said the facility will “deliver the financial means to proceed with the comprehensive transformation process initiated at the beginning of this year.”