Acciona Energía has announced plans to begin construction of the MacIntyre wind farm in the second quarter of this year, after it received environmental approval from the Queensland authorities. With nearly 1GW of capacity, the wind farm is set to become Australia’s largest, as well as the biggest renewables project for Acciona itself.
The project will be located in Queensland’s Southern Downs, 60km west of Warwick. Nordex will supply 162 turbines of its N163/5.X Delta 400 series turbines, in 5.7MW mode.
Owned by Acciona (70%) and Korea Zinc subsidiary Ark Energy (30%), the project will be built and operated by Acciona.
Acciona Energía managing director Brett Wickham said the project will deliver reliable and sustainable energy to the grid, helping to achieve renewable energy targets. Queensland’s ambition is to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030.
MacIntyre will bring A$1.7 billion (US$1.2 billion) worth of investment into Queensland, creating more than 350 jobs throughout the construction and operations phases.
The wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2024, when it will produce enough power to meet the energy needs of 620,000 homes and avoid 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 a year.
Under its environmental management plan, the MacIntyre wind farm will be constructed using best practices, with clear commitments to minimise its environmental footprint, including impacts on local flora and fauna.
“Everyone involved in the MacIntyre wind farm takes our environmental responsibilities very seriously,” said Wickham. “It’s important that these renewable energy projects are built. But it’s equally important that we do it in an environmentally sustainable way.”
Community grants and scholarships are also available to local residents as part of Acciona’s community giving programme.
“Already we’ve given more than $330,000 to the local community, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support the project has received so far,” Wickham added.https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1748454/acciona-gets-green-light-build-australias-largest-wind-farm