Wind farm gets state planning approval, months after concrete poured and first turbines erected

The state and federal planning processes that govern renewable energy project development can be confusing at the best of times, but Western Australia has set a new benchmark by approving a wind farm that is already being built.

Enel Green Power’s Flat Rocks wind farm was given the green light by the WA Planning Commission on April 19, despite the $200 million project being well underway with the concrete foundations for the 18 turbines all poured by mid-way through last year, and the first turbines being erected later this year.

As Renew Econonmy has reported, Enel began pouring the concrete foundations for the project in February 2023, a milestone that was celebrated with a visit to the site from the company’s Rome-based CEO Salvatore Bernabei.

The 76 MW wind farm near Konjonup is slated to help power BHP’s Nickel West operations – the largest nickel producer by volume in Western Australia – and reports of its progress, including turbines going up, had suggested it might be operational in the first quarter of 2024.

In October, BHP marked a project milestone for Flat Rocks, reporting that more than half of the 18 wind turbines were in place.

“Once complete, Flat Rocks Wind Farm Stage 1 will provide enough renewable energy to fully power our Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter and Kambalda Concentrator each year, based on current requirements,” BHP said at the time.

“Construction of the remaining turbines will be completed in the coming months with commissioning and electrification expected in early 2024.”

So what, exactly, did the WA Planning Commission approve last week?

Obviously we are not the only ones who are confused. The first question in an FAQ/additional information drop-down window on the planning portal is: Why has a new development application been lodged with the Western Australian Planning Commission for the Flat Rocks Wind Farm when the development has already been approved?

The answer: The applicants have advised they are seeking approval from the WAPC on the basis that “the project spans a large area which is under the jurisdiction of two local governments.

“Recent difficulties with the coordination of approvals and the clearance of conditions have justified the need to obtain one approval that is overseen (including clearance of conditions) by one agency being the WAPC.

“This negates any divergence in administrative processes between the Shire of Kojonup and that of the Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel as the decision maker in the case of the Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup.“

The planning commission notes construction had indeed commenced at the wind farm, under multiple existing development approvals granted by the relevant local government or Joint Development Assessment Panel.

“These existing development approvals will remain valid and works can continue, provided that they are in accordance with the existing approvals,” the planning commission said. No changes were made to the project size or design.

Nevertheless, the planning department says the project was still being assessed as a new development application – and it has now been approved as such.

Meanwhile, a 100MW stage two of the Flat Rocks wind farm is being developed by the WA Water Corporation, which bought it from the original developer in December 2022.

According to the Water Corporation’s 2023 financial report the development rights to the stage two wind farm included project studies, project drawings, wind data, environmental approvals and development approvals. Management forecasts that the 24-turbine project will begin sending power to the main WA grid in 2025.