GE and ENGIE partner to deliver 119 MW wind farm in South Australia

GE Renewable Energy (NYSE:GE) today announced an agreement with ENGIE in Australia to supply and install 32 wind turbines at the Willogoleche Wind Farm in South Australia, 160km north of Adelaide. Upon completion in mid-2018, the 119 MW wind farm project will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 80,000 South Australian homes.

With a power generation capacity of 112.7 GW, ENGIE is the largest independent electricity producer in the world, and already generates 20% of its energy from renewable sources. Its decision to partner with GE demonstrates the two companies’ commitment to investing in Australia, and shows, with the Renewable Energy Target (RET) in place, Australia is an attractive destination for renewables development.

The wind farm at Willogoleche will be ENGIE in Australia’s second wind project in the country, and the first time GE and ENGIE have worked together on a renewables project in Australia. Construction firm CATCON will be responsible for the wind farm’s construction.

Geoff Culbert, President & CEO, GE Australia, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea said: “We are excited to be working with ENGIE on this project, and to continue our commitment to serving the energy needs of South Australia.

“We have seen tremendous momentum in the Australian wind industry this year. This will be our fourth wind farm to begin construction in 2017, with more than 300 GE turbines either operating or under construction across the country, capable of powering the equivalent of more than 500,000 Australian homes with renewable energy.

“It is encouraging to see more projects like this reach financial close, and we look forward to continuing to bring the best renewables technology to Australia.”

Acting CEO of ENGIE in Australia, Mr Matt Donaldson, said: “This is a key project for ENGIE as it tackles the major challenges in the energy transition and moves us towards a decarbonised, decentralised and digitised energy system.

“It’s great to be working with GE, a company with a similar mindset where digital is at the heart of everything it does. This ensures solutions are future-proofed and our customers enjoy world-leading technology that meets their energy needs.”

The project will be based on GE’s latest wind technology, which has increased energy production by over 50% per unit from our first projects in Australia, and include a combination of 3.8MW (24 turbines) and 3.4MW (8 turbines), with a tip height of 150m above ground level and a blade rotor diameter of 130m.

Jérôme Pécresse, President & CEO of GE Renewable Energy, said: “In Australia, we are now working on nearly $2 billion in wind farm projects, representing more than 900MW generation capacity. This is an incredibly important region for GE globally, and we are committed to supporting Australia achieve its renewable energy goals while maintaining reliable and affordable electricity supplies to businesses and households across the country.

“It’s excellent to have the opportunity to partner with ENGIE in Australia as it looks to bring more renewable projects online in the country,” said Pécresse.