State backs up wind contracting blitz with boost to local turbine tower manufacturing

The Western Australian government announced on Sunday that it would co-invest $2 million in local industrial machinery manufacturing company Camco Engineering to establish the state’s first local manufacturing capability for wind tower anchor cages.

Billed as part of the state’s Made in WA plan and funded through the government’s $8 million Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-Investment Program, the $2 million will help Camco purchase specialised high-precision equipment necessary to become a critical supplier to the state’s wind energy pipeline.

Wind tower anchor cages combine steel and concrete to keep turbine towers stable even under extreme wind conditions – a critical component for wind farm construction and a capability that does not currently exist in Western Australia.

“Our project is an important strategic step in building a truly local capability in wind infrastructure manufacturing,” Camco Engineering CEO Glenn Bailey said on Monday.

“Smart pre-assembly and logistics solutions will set new benchmarks for efficiency and safety in wind farm construction.

“Camco has already engaged with multiple wind tower (original equipment manufacturers) and will partner with wind energy infrastructure leaders to leverage its new capability in upcoming Western Australian projects,” Bailey said.

Also on Monday, the Cook Labor government announced that it has locked in delivery of more than a gigawatt of new renewable energy generation capacity for the state, signing contracts through publicly-owned utilities to buy the output from three new wind farms.

State-owned gentailer Synergy is behind two of the power purchase agreements (PPAs) – one with the 130 megawatt (MW) Kondinin Wind Farm being jointly developed by Shell Energy and Foresight Group, and one with the 470 MW Parron Maam Marang Farm project, owned and operated by Zephyr Energy.

A third deal will see the state’s Water Corporation buy 330 MW of the electricity produced by the Marri Wind Farm, a 550 MW project being developed by Alinta Energy that is expected to begin operations in 2029.

It is expected that Camco’s retooling to begin making anchor cages will create up to 26 new jobs and generate over $46 million in new revenue for the company over the next five years.

“There has never been a more important time to secure clean, affordable and reliable energy in Western Australia, which is why our government investing in the energy transition and our Made in WA plan,” said Amber-Jade Sanderson, state minister for energy and decarbonisation and manufacturing.

“This investment will establish a new local manufacturing capability for critical wind energy infrastructure, reducing reliance on imports and strengthening WA’s manufacturing base.”

This is the fourth local manufacturer to be backed by the WA Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-Investment Program since it was initiated in late 2024. Other companies to benefit include Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), RCR Advanced Technologies, and Turbine Solutions.

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