First of Australia’s tallest turbines go up at wind farm co-owned by Queensland coal giant
The first turbine tower is on its way up at the massive Wambo wind farm in Queensland’s Western Downs, marking a significant milestone for the state-backed project.
The wind farm will top 500 megawatts (MW) once both stages are complete.
The 42 Vestas turbines being installed for the first 252 MW stage of the project will be the tallest yet in Australia, with a tip height of 247 metres.
That's 17 metres taller than the current record holders at the Dulacca wind farm, also in Queensland.
The huge project, which may also include a 40 MW/200 MWh big battery, is jointly owned by Cubico Sustainable Investments and state-owned Stanwell Corporation.
The Stanwell Corporation's 50% stake was backed by $192.5 million from the former state Labor government’s Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund.
Cubico and Stanwell confirmed in February that a second stage of the project would add another 254.2 MW of wind generation capacity, taking the project’s total to more than 500 MW.