Western Australia’s 180MW Warradarge Wind Farm, near Eneabba, will have all 51 turbines spinning and generating power by the end of October.
Western Australian Energy Minister, Bill Johnston, opened the wind farm, which will power the equivalent of 135,000 Western Australian homes’ annual electricity needs.
The turbines are among the largest in Western Australia with a tip height of 152m, sporting some of the longest blades onshore at 66.6m.
Warradarge’s turbine parts were manufactured by Vestas, with the supporting infrastructure works undertaken by local contractor Decmil.
More than 200 jobs were created over the construction period of the wind farm. There are currently 25 to 30 workers commissioning the site and up to ten jobs will be required during the operational phase.
Warradarge is recognised as one of the best renewable energy projects in Australia, due to its abundant wind resource and proximity to existing transmission infrastructure.
Warradarge is owned by Bright Energy Investments, a renewable energy investment vehicle launched by the McGowan Government in April 2018.
Bright Energy Investments is a joint venture between Synergy, DIF and Cbus.
Bright Energy Investments has completed the Stage two expansion of the Greenough River Solar Farm and refurbishment works to extend the life of the Albany Grasmere Wind Farm.
Mr Johnston said, “It’s exciting to witness the sheer scale of this project, and without a doubt, the Warradarge Wind Farm will become one of the best, large-scale renewables projects in Australia.
“The McGowan Government is committed to improving energy affordability and creating a cleaner, greener energy system for Western Australians.
“This is a project that has delivered local jobs using local contractors and will further secure the future of energy supply in this state.”
Bright Energy Investments General Manager, Tom Frood, said, “Bright Energy Investments is incredibly proud this large-scale renewable energy project has come to fruition.
“The Warradarge Wind Farm is a world-class asset, and the culmination of this significant project is reflective of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.”
