In Australia, wind has the second highest installed capacity of any renewable energy technology, second only to hydro (a much older and more established technology).

The past year has been particularly busy for the wind energy industry, with more wind energy commissioned than any other renewable technology. At the end of 2006, the wind energy industry was constructing, or had committed to installing, 749.1 MW of electricity from 13 projects.

Wind has also strengthened its position as holding the greatest market share of renewables excluding hydro, with its proportion of installed renewable capacity at 49 per cent at the end of 2006.

Early in 2006 the wind energy industry received unprecedented media and political attention when the then Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell blocked a proposal from Wind Power to develop the Bald Hills Wind Farm, due to the perceived risks it posed to the endangered Orange-Bellied Parrot.

Since then a raft of new projects has been announced, planning and construction have begun on existing projects, and ongoing projects have been commissioned and begun delivering renewable energy to the electricity grid.

VICTORIA

After becoming the first Australian state to announce its own mandatory renewable energy target in July, the wind industry in Victoria received a particularly strong boost with the Waubra and Cape Bridgewater wind farms both progressing towards development.

Acciona Energy committed $50 million for the first stage of the $400 million, 192 MW Waubra development, which began in late 2006. Leightons Contractors undertook civil works, Keppel Prince supplied steel assemblies for concrete foundations, and Launceston engineering firm Haywards will supply the 31 wind turbine towers. Construction is due to finish in 2008. Acciona also progressed its Newfield and Berrimal wind farms.

AGL’s 330 MW Macarthur project continued through the planning phase after a regional review in early 2006. State Government approval was secured towards the end of 2006 and a final investment decision is expected before the end of this year.

The Victorian Renewable Energy Target also spurred stage two of the Portland Wind Energy Project at Cape Bridgewater at the end of 2006. Under the 58 MW second stage, 29 REPower MM82 turbines will be installed. Construction is expected to continue for most of this year.

Pacific Hydro’s 160 MW Crowlands Wind Farm continues to progress. Design and other approvals are expected to be completed by April 2008, and construction is scheduled to begin in June 2008 for completion in 2009.

A number of approvals were given in Victoria. These included:

- The 232 MW, $380 million Mt Gellibrand development near Colac; - The 21 turbine, 42 MW Naroghid project in Western Victoria; - The 4 MW Hepburn Community Wind Park near Leonards Hill in Central Victoria, expected to produce about 14,000 MWh per year; - A 160 MW wind farm at Mt Mercer, 30 km south of Ballarat in Victoria; - A 24 MW wind farm being developed by Acciona at Berrimal, near Bendigo; - Wind Power’s proposed 28 MW Lexton wind farm, north-west of Ballarat; and, - The $145 million Hawkesdale wind farm, north-west of Warrnambool.

The Bald Hills development also prevailed. After its proposal was rejected by Senator Campbell, Wind Power revised its planning application, moving six of the 52 turbines further inland out of a 2 km coastal strip buffer and providing funding for parrot conservation and recovery. Senator Campbell subsequently approved the project and construction is scheduled for 2008.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

In Western Australia, commissioning of the Emu Downs development was finalised last October and commissioning has also been finalised on the Alinta Wind Farm.

A pre-feasibility study of the Badgingarra Wind Farm (between Geraldton and Perth, north of the Emu Downs Wind Farm) began by considering the options of either Vestas V90 2 MW or REPower MM82 3 MW turbines.

In a smaller scale development, the Coral Bay diesel generation plant has been upgraded by adding three 275 kW wind turbines. The new wind turbines will supply about 40 per cent of the town’s annual electricity, massively reducing diesel consumption.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Developments in South Australia took off towards the end of 2006 when construction started on the second stage of Lake Bonney wind farm.

The 53 turbines being installed will bring the capacity of Lake Bonney up to 240 MW and full commissioning of this stage of the project remains on track for early 2008.

Construction began on the 95 MW Hallett wind farm in early 2007. AGL has acquired the rights to develop the 71 MW Hallett Hill wind farm from Wind Prospect. This project, 20 km from the Hallett wind farm, is expected to involve 34 turbines.

Construction started in April on the 88 MW Snowtown wind farm by New Zealand’s Trust Power. This project will generate enough energy to power 60,000 households.

Acciona Energy is developing two wind farms just south of Mt Gambier – the Allendale and Laslett wind farms. Both wind farms, about 50 turbines of 3 MW each, were recently referred to the EPBC Act for assessment. The World’s End Wind Farm also had its development application approved in late 2006.

NEW SOUTH WALES

In NSW Renewable Power Ventures received state planning approval for its 132 MW Capital Wind Farm in late 2006. Babcock and Brown and National Power announced plans to jointly develop a $30 million wind project at Bourke. Wind Corporation Australia also submitted an application for the Black Springs Wind Farm to the NSW State Department of Planning and referred the development for federal environmental approval. The 19 MW $32 million project will be built near Oberon.

The NSW Land and Environment Court cleared development of the Taralga Wind Farm after the initial approval for the project from NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor was met with opposition on noise and visual grounds.

Epuron’s Conroy’s Gap Wind farm received development approval from Minister Sartor. The 30 MW wind farm will be 17 km east of Yass in the Southern Tablelands, with the 15, 2 MW wind turbines expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 90,000 tonnes a year. During 2006 Macquarie Generation also received development approval for the Liverpool Range wind farm.

QUEENSLAND

In Queensland things were reasonably quiet. The Crows Nest Wind Farm was the major project to achieve significant progress, with approval to proceed with the development secured from Queensland’s Planning and Environment Court in the early months of the year.

Project proponent Allco is seeking a power purchase agreement for the $270 million, 124 MW project near Toowoomba. Allco acquired the right to develop the 75-turbine project and a number of other wind projects from Energreen.