Kaban wind farm powers up, connects to Queensland’s renewable “SuperGrid”

Neoen Australia’s 157MW Kaban wind farm has officially connected to Queensland’s “SuperGrid,” the state’s grand new name for the beefed up electricity network that will need to accommodate 80% renewables by 2035.

The wind farm – which is said to be at the half-way mark of construction, with 16 of its 28 Vestas V162-5.6MW EnVentus turbines fully installed – was energised on Tuesday.

The project is part of Neoen Australia’s Green Power Hub, which has plans to add a big battery, and will take in a 320km transmission line upgrade of the coastal circuit from Cairns to Townsville.

The Queensland government’s green energy utility, CleanCo, has signed a 15-year offtake deal to purchase 100 per cent of the output from the wind farm.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles on Tuesday marked the project as the first for the Sunshine State’s first renewable energy zone, the Northern Queensland REZ.

“This project is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the world-renowned wind resources of Northern Queensland,” Miles said.

The milestone for the Neoen project comes less than a week after the Palaszczuk government announced ambitious new renewable energy targets, including 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

Queensland Labor’s new plans aim to add 22GW of new wind and solar, 11.5GW of rooftop solar, 9GW of battery storage and 7GW of pumped hydro storage to a renewable energy SuperGrid, most of it over the coming decade.

The state’s minister for energy, renewables and hydrogen Mick de Brenni said on Tuesday that the government’s $700 million investment in the North Queensland transmission network over the next five years aims to keep the new renewables generation flowing.

“This new transmission infrastructure will be delivered by Powerlink and will unlock an additional 500MW of renewables capacity in the region,” de Brenni said at an event for the Kaban wind farm in the Tablelands.

“Projects like this enable the cost-effective connection of multiple renewable energy developments into the network, making it easier to bring more clean energy to enter the system.”

Neoen managing director Louis de Sambucy said the company was proud of Kaban’s role as the cornerstone project of Queensland’s first renewable energy zone.

“I’d like to thank the Queensland government and CleanCo for their vision and support, and Powerlink for their hard work and commitment in delivering the essential transmission infrastructure,” he said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the energisation of Kaban signifies the first injection of clean energy into the new Queensland SuperGrid.

“Once complete early next year, [the wind farm] will generate 460,000MW hours of clean energy a year, enough to power up to 100,000 homes,” the premier said.

The project is also noted for its huge turbines, which from the base of the tower to the highest tip of the blade reach 230 metres into the air.