Spanish giant trims turbine numbers for big new wind and battery project in central Victoria

A new wind farm and battery storage project in central Victoria is now inside the state’s planning machinery, as Acciona moves into the next phase for its proposed 330 megawatt (MW) Tall Tree project.

The Spanish developer has been working since 2023 on the site, which is one of the eastern-most projects in the increasingly crowded central Victoria wind region. 

The $990 million Tall Tree wind farm, with a 200MW/800MWh battery, will be tucked in between the towns of Meredith, Lethbridge, and Teesdale in central west Victoria, and within Vicgrid’s proposed Central Highlands renewable energy zone (REZ). 

The original plan was for 68 turbines but was shrunk to 53 before Acciona began seeking environmental planning approval last month, and last week the developer said it was preparing to launch a referral to the federal environmental process as well.  

“The project land has been reduced by more than 2,400 hectares, including removal of turbines and supporting infrastructure from identified high value vegetation and habitat areas and in efforts to reduce amenity impacts to the surrounding townships,” Acciona said in its Victoria environmental effects statement referral.

The final layout to date of the Tall Tree wind farm. Image: Acciona

Acciona is proposing a maximum hub height of 169m and a maximum blade tip of 250m, and says it’ll need a new 220 kV overhead transmission line to connect into the existing Moorabool to Elaine line.

It’s aiming to start construction in 2027 and operations in 2029.

The Tall Tree wind farm is proposed for a crowded corner of Victoria, with the massive 756MW Golden Plains stage 1 wind farm to the west and 131MW Mercer wind farm to the north-west.

The Tall Tree wind farm, marked with a pale green circle. Image: Renewmap

The REZ location means if the project goes ahead, it’ll be in a prime location to tap the new 500kV transmission line proposed from Tarrone to Mortlake, Moorabool, Truganina and then Sydenham in Melbourne’s north.

But the congestion means new kinds of social licence issues. 

Meetings with people in each nearby town show over the last 18 months, as per minutes and extensive Q&A responses Acciona has published on the project website, show residents are worried the state’s minimum 1km set back from houses is not enough.

The three closest towns are all between 2km and 7km of the project, and the Lethbridge airport is just 5km to the east.  

Key themes from community forums show people are worried about the effect on avifauna, whether the consultation process was thorough enough, the effect on turbines on property values, decommissioning, visual impact, and fire risks, as well as other issues. 

Acciona promised that all decommissioning would be paid for and handled by the wind farm owner.

And although the area itself has mainly been used for sheep grazing, there are some environmentally sensitive areas to avoid, such as the grassland Boonderoo Nature Conservation Reserve which will be ringed by the wind farm. 

Acciona’s environmental surveys to date have recorded 82 threatened flora species in or potentially occurring in the 10kms around the wind farm site, 56 fauna species, and four migratory species including the critically endangered swift parrot and curlew sandpiper.