Gigawatt-scale wind project seeks new federal green tick with fewer but bigger turbines

The massive Liverpool Range wind farm, proposed for development in the Central West-Orana Renewable Energy Zone in New South Wales, has joined the queue for federal environmental assessment – for a second time around.

The up to 1.3GW project, which is currently being developed by Tilt Renewables, was previously approved by the federal Coalition government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2018. It was also waved through by the then NSW government.

At the time it promised to be the biggest in the country.

But Liverpool Range, which was sold to Tilt by Epuron in 2019, faces fresh EPBC and state assessments after changes were made to the layout and design of the project proposed for between the NSW towns of Coolah and Cassilis.

The changes include a reduction in the number of turbines proposed from up to 267 – which was approved as part of the originally proposed 962MW project – to a newly proposed maximum of 185 turbines adding to a maximum capacity of 1,332 MW (1.3GW).

“The latest turbines, while larger, are more efficient, meaning the project could be built with fewer turbines,” Tilt explains here.

“This project will generate renewable energy and aims to assist in reducing impacts of climate change and contribute to the shortfall in generation due to the retirement of coal-fired generators,” the invitation for public comment says.

“The project has been determined to be a ‘controlled action’… under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The controlling provisions under the EPBC Act are ‘listed threatened species and communities’ (Sections 18 and 18A) and ‘listed migratory species’ (Sections 20 and 20A).”

The draft Public Environment Report for the Liverpool Range wind farm is open for public comment for 20 business days from 22 May 2024 to 19 June 2024.