The 192 megawatt (MW) Waubra Wind Farm is being built by Acciona Energy, 35 kilometres northwest of Ballarat in Waubra, Victoria.

When completed, the 128 turbine development will generate 192 MW, producing enough electricity to power approximately 143,000 households per year. The clean energy produced will offset approximately 635,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year.

“We are very excited about this job. This is the largest wind farm we have constructed across the world,” says Project Manager Bruce Payne.

Acciona has almost 5,500 MW of installed renewable energy capacity around the world, with its renewable technology portfolio including small hydro, biomass, solar and thermal energy. The company has installed almost 5,300 MW of wind power capacity in 192 wind farms across twelve countries.

In Australia, Acciona has a 66 MW wind farm operational at Cathedral Rocks in South Australia, jointly owned with Roaring 40s. The company also has approval to build a 50 MW wind development at Woodlawn, New South Wales and a 24 MW development at Berrimal, Victoria.

On windy Victorian hills sits Waubra

Situated in two municipalities, the Shire of Pyrenees and the City of Ballarat, the wind farm is located on a series of hills and high plateaus that form part of the Great Dividing Range.

The development’s design includes three turbine configurations, each with a combination of tower heights and blade lengths. Mr Payne says that the turbines have been selected to match the wind conditions and the local terrain.

Acciona has a long term power purchase agreement with Origin Energy. Announcing the agreement, Origin’s Chief Operating Officer Karen Moses said “Wind Energy is currently one of the most cost-effective and fastest growing sources of renewable energy in the world; each megawatt hour of wind energy generated avoids producing one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Under construction

Turbine installation at Waubra began in December 2007, with the majority of the project components now onsite. Acciona Energy’s sister company, Acciona Windpower, is supplying the turbine parts, constructing the wind turbines and commissioning them.

The towers are being produced by Portlandbased Keppel Prince Engineering and by Haywards Engineering in Tasmania. The nacelles and hubs have been manufactured by Acciona Windpower in Pamplona, Spain and the blades by Tecsis in Brazil. Twentyfive onsite staff will maintain the wind farm as it begins operating.

With 68 turbines already erected, Mr Payne says that the project is progressing well. As of the beginning of December 2008, civil works, which involved 128 reinforced concrete footings and crane pads and 60 km of access tracks, were completed.

Electrical works are well-progressed, with pre-commissioning completed at the five sub stations and the switching station. A 220 kilovolt (kV) line crossing the site as well as underground cables are complete.

Mr Payne says that given the size of the project, the process has been reasonably smooth. “The installation of the towers has taken longer than ideally hoped for, given the wind conditions onsite, however this would appear to confirm the suitability of the location.”

SP Ausnet is constructing the Waubra Terminal Station, which is expected to be connected to the grid in early February. Following the testing and commissioning of the facility, Waubra Wind Farm will be connected.

The 880 sq metre maintenance facility has been designed to visually complement the surrounding environment. The low energy building is being constructed by regional company AW Nicholson. It will be built from sustainable materials and powered with 100 per cent wind energy. The facility will be used for local control of the wind farm and will provide an area for storage of equipment and spare parts.

Community engagement and the environment

The 173.25 square km site consists primarily of cleared agricultural land used for sheep and cattle grazing and potato growing. With 34 landowners involved in the project, Mr Payne explains that community consultation has been consistent and open throughout Acciona Energy’s involvement.

“[Community consultation] remains at the forefront of this and other projects, by way of utilising designated contact personnel, and the establishment of Community Reference Groups,” he says.

The Operations Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) has recently been developed and will be submitted to the Victorian Department of Community Development for approval soon.

“The OEMP establishes the environmental management objectives and targets, controls and procedures to be implemented by Acciona Energy and its employees and sub-contractors during operations and the eventual decommissioning of the wind farm,” says Environmental Co-ordinator Jamie McGilp.

The OEMP was developed through a process of document review, site inspection and consultation with stakeholders. The environmental standards were identified after consultation with relevant authorities including the Pyrenees Shire Council, Ballarat City Council, Environmental Protection Agency, NCCMA and the Country Fire Authority. Aspects addressed include water, waste, noise, cultural heritage, native flora and weeds, traffic, earthworks, amenity and rehabilitation.

The OEMP also consists of Acciona Energy’s Environmental Policy Statement, as well as the roles and responsibilities for environmental management. Reference is also made to community relations including provisions for a community fund, an opening celebration, the continuation of community updates via the website and newsletters and the Community Reference Group. The OEMP also outlines the construction of a viewing area on the Sunraysia Highway.

Windy days ahead

Glenn Wright, Waubra Wind Farm’s Facilities Manager, says that he is looking forward to being onsite and running the wind farm together with the rest of the team. “The most rewarding moment will be when we start generating green electricity,” he says. Commissioning of the first two substations is expected to commence in mid-February, with the first group of turbines generating power soon after.