AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST WIND FARM

Situated 250km northwest from Brisbane, the $850 million project will feature 123 wind generation turbines and is to be constructed by AGL Energy. The Coopers Gap Wind Farm will aim to produce 1.5 millionMW-hours of renewable energy annually. The farm was proposed on the back of the Queensland Labor Government’s commitment to reaching a 50 percent renewable energy target state-wide by 2030. The greenhouse gas reductions are estimated to be the equivalent of the removal of 320,000 cars off the road, providing a substantial increase to the state’s sustainable emissions.

AGL is the builder, owner and operator of the some of the largest wind farms in South Australia and Victoria and are now keen to make their footprint in Queensland.

"It is hoped the Coopers Gap Wind Farm will be the next greenfield renewable development offered to the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF),” stated AGL’s Coopers Gap Wind Farm project manager, Evan Carless. “The PARF is a partnership between AGL, QIC and Future Fund, which is targeting the development of approximately 1000MW of large-scale renewable energy projects.”

The Coopers Gap Wind Farm will produce over 200 new jobs and up to 20 ongoing operational jobs to the Western Downs throughout the construction reprocess, with the aim to keep these jobs as local as possible. With arable land producing difficult crops over the past few years, the wind farm is a welcome addition as it will contribute $4 million annually to the local economy by providing consistent income to local farmers.

Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham stated that, alongside 10 other approved solar projects in the region, the Coopers Gap Wind Farm will have major benefits for the state of Queensland.

“Together, they represent more than 2000MW of renewable energy that will help power Queensland's electricity grid and its regional economies, and help us meet our international emissions reduction commitments," Dr Lynham said.

The wind farm was announced on the same day as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk distanced the Queensland Labor party from the Adani $16.5 billion Carmichael coal mine, showcasing a willingness from the party to become a greener and more sustainable state.

The farm is set to be located between Dalby and Kingaroy and will be constructed across 10 properties of farming and cattle-grazing land. It will cover around 13,200 hectares of land with the actual towers and infrastructure occupying less than two percent of this area. The farm will be connected to a new Powerlink substation within the Western Downs, along the Halys 275kV transmission line. The generated electricity per turbine will be transmitted via underground cabling that is located at the onsite substation which will be connected to the site’s grid network and travel to the power network.

The development and building contract was won by GE and CATCON who will be in charge of the engineering, procurement and construction processes. This includes the supply, transportation, collection, establishment and commission of the wind generation turbines. Additionally, they will oversee the design and construction of the foundations of the turbine generators, the internal road and hardstand network, the electrical reticulation system, external road upgrades, and the construction of an operations and maintenance facility.

“Coopers Gap Wind Farm remains AGL’s foremost renewable energy project in Queensland with a high-quality wind resource and possibly the highest average wind speeds in the state,” said construction project manager, Tim Knill in a company statement.

The wind farm has begun construction and is set to be completed in 2019.