Wind energy news from "Downunder" - Keyneton wind farm approved in Australia

The Keyneton Wind Farm is located in the Mid Murray Council area about two hours drive from Adelaide along the Mount Lofty Ranges that border the Barossa region. The wind farm has been approved with up to 42 turbines and is expected to have a capacity of around 100MW.

“This is a very good wind energy project for South Australia that meets all planning guidelines and we are very pleased that it has received approval,” said General Manager Australia, Mr Lane Crockett.

“This approval confirms yet again that South Australia is a global clean energy leader and is living proof that the transition to a clean energy future is not only possible but highly desirable.”

Pacific Hydro has a commitment to maximising local content in all of its wind energy projects and the company expects that up to 40% of the total project capital value of $200M will be spent in South Australia.

While the permit is an important milestone for the Keyneton Wind Farm, the company acknowledges that there is still much work to be done before any construction can begin. The next stage of the process will include extensive consultation with the local community and a detailed feasibility analysis.

“There is still a lot of work to do including meeting the conditions under which the permit has been granted as well as confirming a connection and finalising commercial feasibility, which will be directly affected by the outcome of the scheduled review of the Renewable Energy Target in 2014,” added Mr Crockett.

“We especially acknowledge that some members of the local community are anxious about the potential impact that this wind farm may have on them. We recognise that it is our responsibility to create a collaborative way forward to work with the local community to understand and try and resolve their concerns.”

“We also want to find ways to share value from the wind farm with the local community as it is further developed.”

Pacific Hydro is an Australian owned company with interests in large scale wind, hydro, solar PV and geothermal. The Company has been operating renewable energy projects in Australia since 1992. Its first wind farm in South Australia, at Clements Gap, began operating in 2010.