Westwind eyes new 1.5GW wind project in south-west NSW

Westwind Energy has unveiled more details of its giant 1.5 gigawatt (GW) Lake Victoria wind project in south west NSW, although it is unlikely to be operational before the end of the decade.

The developer has kicked off community consultation for the wind farm in late March, which will host around 200 turbines which currently have planning permission for a total tip height of 280 metres.

Most of the views the developer has fielded so far are neutral or positive, swayed by the potential jobs on offer, albeit with some concerns about the impact of the construction phase of the wind farm, a spokesperson for the company told RenewEconomy.

The company is also promising a community benefits scheme into which it will pay $2,000 per constructed turbine annually, to support local needs such as health and social welfare, the environment, education and youth, or sport and recreation.

The developer says those turbines will be “cutting edge” but, given the length of time it takes for planning and approvals to happen in NSW, the company says it won’t be able to decide on a model this year. 

Westwind is not shy about picking the biggest or most advanced tech: at its Golden Plains wind farm, it began installing Vestas V162 6.2MW turbines in February, which is the first of its type to be installed in Victoria.

The spokesperson says the NSW project could see construction begin between 2028 – 2029, if all goes well with the planning approvals, leading to that 2031 launch date. 

The Lake Victoria project will cover 416 square kilometres of agricultural farmland north of Wentworth, just across the state line from Mildura in Westwind’s usual stomping ground of Victoria.

It’s a region so used to renewable energy projects it’s been pejoratively dubbed the “rhombus of regret”, as the cluster of wind and solar farms struggled for access to congested local transmission lines. 

However, the construction of the new Project EnergyConnect, linking NSW and South Australia,. and a spur line to Red Cliffs in northern Victoria should provide significantly more capacity, although there are a number of huge solar and wind projects competing for space on the grid, including in new renewable energy zones.

Leases with the landowner NSW Western Region Crownlands are still being finalised, and Lake Victoria wind farm will be lodging its environmental referrals to kick off the planning approvals process in the coming weeks. 

“We’re excited to be developing this project in NSW in the Wentworth Shire. We see great potential to create a significant renewable energy project here,” says Westwind chief development officer Marla Brauer.