Second stage of Australia’s biggest wind project is now sending power to the grid

The second stage of what is already the biggest wind project in Australia has started sending power to the grid, and soon will be the first in the country to reach the gigawatt scale.

The first 766 megawatt (MW) stage of the Golden Plains wind farm – majority owned and developed by Portugal-based TagEnergy – was officially commissioned late last year, although it send its first power to the grid in early 2025.

Now, the second 577 MW stage has been sending power to the grid for the last two weeks as its starts its journey through the various hold points that are a feature of the commissioning process. It will likely finish this process next year.

At 1.33 gigawatts (GW), the $4 billion Golden Plains wind farm will be by far the biggest in Australia, and will likely hold that status for a few years given the time it takes to finalise plans, land finance, build, connect and commission such projects.

Its nearest rival is the 923 MW MacIntyre wind project in Queensland, but despite starting the commissioning around the same time as Golden Plains it has been stuck at hold points and is still sending out only maximum of half its constructed capacity. 

Other wind projects may overtake Golden Plains in size, such as Liverpool Range and Yanco Delta projects in NSW, and possibly the Bonney Downs wind project proposed by mining giant Fortescue to help its operations reach “real zero” by the end of the decade.

TagEnergy is also building a big battery at the site of the Golden Plains wind farm, with a 150 MW, 600 MWh facility now under construction , and a long term “virtual toll” agreement with Snowy Hydro, which also has a long term contract for part of the wind farm’s output.

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