Goldwind begins construction of 144MW Tasmania wind farm

Tasmania’s wind energy capacity is set to be boosted by 50 per cent, with construction of Goldwind Australia’s 144MW Cattle Hill wind farm now underway in the state’s central highlands.

The China-based Goldwind said on Tuesday that construction would commence on the 49-turbine project, after the successful completion of site access works.

Cattle Hill Wind Farm was announced by Goldwind in June last year, alongside a long-term power purchase agreement with state-owned power retailer Aurora Energy.

The announcement was hailed by the Tasmanian government, and another major wind farm flagged for Granville Harbour, on the state’s west coast.

Goldwind is developing the Cattle Hill project in partnership with Power China Resource Limited (PCR) – a subsidiary of the state-owned EPC contractor PowerChina.

Tasmanian civil construction company, Hazell Brothers, would be one of the key partners for the project during the construction period, the companies said.

“The agreement signed today allows Hazell Brothers to commence early works for the project and acknowledges them as the preferred contractor for the full civil and electrical works for the wind farm,” said John Titchen, managing director of Goldwind Australia.

“Hazell Brothers has extensive experience in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects in Tasmania,” Titchen said.

TasNetworks would also begin work on connecting the wind farm to the Tasmanian grid, Goldwind said.

Once completed, Cattle Hill Wind Farm is expected to provide enough clean energy to power around 63,500 Tasmanian homes a year.

The project is also in the process of establishing a community fund, that will donate $120,000 a year into the local community – a practice that is becoming par for the course with major wind and solar developments, to help establish a robust social licence.