
The first of two offshore wind farms in NSW to go into operation
A second offshore wind farm in NSW has gone into operation in the state, and it’s being touted as the start of a boom in wind power in Australia.
Key points:Wind farm in Sydney’s northwest was originally planned to be the second offshore installation in NSW, but the first was lost to a stormThe NSW Government announced a wind farm to replace the first one will be built in 2018Wind farm operator AGL is offering up to $2.5 billion for the projectWind farms can generate up to 6MW of electricity and supply up to 12 hours of power every dayA new wind farm will be installed in the north-east of NSW, south of Sydney and in the South Coast regionThe first of the two offshore installations in NSW will be completed in 2021, with the second due to be completed by 2025.
The first offshore wind project in NSW was originally scheduled to be located at the port of Dover, in the NSW-Gauteng region.
However, a massive storm in August 2019, caused the project to be lost to the sea.
The second offshore project was to be built near the NSW town of Mudgee, with plans to supply up for 12 hours a day and provide up to 8MW of power.
The new turbines will be located off Mudgeee and will be connected to the existing wind farm, which is being built in the region of Taree.
In 2017, the NSW Government revealed the Government had allocated $3.3 billion for wind farms across the state.
However this funding was conditional on the development of renewable energy.
The State Government said at the time that it was looking for wind farm operators that would have the capacity to provide power for as long as they needed it.
The state’s renewable energy targets require that 80 per cent of energy needs be renewable energy by 2020, and this meant wind farms were expected to meet the target.
The Department of Environment and Heritage said the second project would be a “significant addition” to the already strong renewable energy portfolio.
It said the State Government would consider the impacts on the environment, and the project would continue to be reviewed to determine the best way forward for the future.
Windfarm operator AIG has been a partner in the project and said it would deliver power for the region, while a project manager with AGL said it was important to get the project moving quickly.
“We are very pleased with the completion of this project in the Northern Territory,” the project manager said.
“It is a great start to the renewable energy industry in NSW and is a real opportunity to build on the good reputation AGL has built over the years.”
The State’s energy market is also set to expand in coming years.
A federal government report released in September said the federal market was expected to grow to $17 billion by 2021, and wind power was expected become the second-largest source of electricity in the market.
The report noted wind power had become the fastest growing energy source by 2020 and would be responsible for more than 40 per cent by 2021.
Topics:wind-energy,energy-and-utilities,energy,environment,business-economics-and_finance,southern-north-2588,worthington-2589More stories from New South Wales