Windfarm goes ahead despite Canberra/Austrailia

The alternative energy sector has taken a major step forward with the announcement that Australia’s largest wind farm project, which will commence construction in Portland on the western coast of Victoria. Pacific Hydro will ultimately invest $270m to build 120 windmills, generating 195 MW of electricity and almost doubling Australia’s wind energy generating capacity. The first stage of the project, 20 windmills at the Yambuk Wind Farm, will generate 30 MW, with completion expected by May 2005. Investment in this stage will be about $54m. When fully operational, the Portland Wind Energy Project will generate enough power to supply 100,000 homes and will reduce greenhouse gases by up to 700,000t a year.

In connection with the project, Danish firm Vestas will establish a facility to manufacture turbine blades, directly creating about 50 jobs in the Portland area. The factory will be operational in time to supply the 100 sets of blades required for stage two of the project, which will see windmills constructed at Cape Bridgewater, Cape Nelson and Cape Sir William Grant. Another firm in Portland, Keppel Prince, is already engaged in the manufacture of towers for windfarms, and the Portland project means a significant boost in output.