Construction of Western Australia’s biggest wind farm, the Yandin Wind Farm, is now underway.
The farm, located in the Shire of Dandaragan around 175km north of Perth, will feature 51 4.2MW turbines. The project is expected to cost approximately $400 million and will generate around 150 jobs during construction.
Alinta Energy’s Executive Director of Merchant Energy, Ken Woolley, said that the project was on track to be up and running by the second half of 2020.
“Western Australia has some tremendous renewable energy resources, and we believe the Yandin Wind Farm will harness one of the best, if not the best wind resource in the country.”
CEO of the Shire of Dandaragan, Brent Bailey, said the sod turning was an important step in the Shire’s plan to make the area WA’s renewable hub.
“The Yandin Wind Farm is a great example of the Shire of Dandaragan’s desire to be recognised as the centre of renewable energy in WA, and it’s terrific to hear the project partners talk about the region’s potential.
“Our aspiration to be the centre of renewable energy in WA is driven by input from our community, so I hopefully speak on their behalf when I say we are looking forward to the project becoming operational.
“We also welcome contact from other developers who would like to investigate how the Shire can support them to make our vision a reality.”
Between January and June 2020, over 50,000 tonnes of turbines and machinery will be transported to site. The project will require close to 1 million hours of labour, which will be dedicated to constructing the wind farm to highest standards.
The turbines will only occupy around 0.03 per cent of the project site, which means farming and existing land uses can co-exist.
The high-quality wind resource in the region means the wind farm’s long-term capacity factor is projected to be around 50 per cent, which may be the country’s highest.
The wind farm will connect to Western Power’s 330kV electricity network via a new 10km transmission line and terminal station that will be built, owned and operated by Western Power.
