Wind in the Bush aims to be he
most informative, comprehensive, and up-to-date pages on Australian wind
power and wind farms.
The author is not beholden to any company, lobby group, or government.
*
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Contact: email daveclarkecb@yahoo.com
Main sections:
Introduction |
Installed wind power in SA |
Wind farm generation data |
Capacities of conventional power stations |
Growth of the SA wind industry
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South Australian wind farms |
SA wind farms by region |
Wind farms by location |
Visiting SA wind-farms |
Power interconnectors |
Index |
(Off this page: Locations on
Google Maps)
Graphs
Operating SA wind farms |
Wind farm generation, by wind farm |
Wind energy contribution to SA power |
Emissions from generation |
Wind energy vs greenhouse intensity |
Electricity imports decreasing due to wind power |
Generation duration curve for SA wind power |
Emissions from generation |
Wind generation in SA by region |
Wind output at high demand periods
Tables
Installed capacities of SA wind
farms |
Capacities of conventional power stations |
SA wind farms by region |
Colour coding for wind farm status |
Other proposed wind farms |
Power interconnectors |
Maps
Allendale |
Crystal Brook |
Eyre Peninsula wind project |
Hallett wind farms |
Robertstown |
Stony Gap |
Wattle Point
Using this page: some hints
This and most other pages of 'Wind in the Bush' are set out like reference
books.
There is a contents list at the top of each page
and at least one index at the bottom of the page.
Use these to find the subject you want, or use CTRL F to find words or
phrases that interest you.
You can also Google search all of Ramblings.
All the main pages of 'Wind in the Bush' are listed at the top left of the
Wind Home page and each of the states' pages.
Created as a separate page
2004/02/28, modified 2013/05/15
Information about wind farms that I have missed, additional interesting
information,
or corrections for
anything that I have got wrong, would be greatly appreciated; please give
evidence.
About these pages
Contact: email daveclarkecb@yahoo.com
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Wind power support group
Please contact me (email address above) if you are interested in helping set
up a SA wind power support group.
It could be similar to the
Victorian Wind
Alliance.
Those against wind power are getting organised.
Many more people are in favour of wind power, but unfortuneatly they are not
saying much.
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SA ahead of the pack
SA is well ahead of the other eastern states on wind (31%, all eastern
states 3.1%) and solar (SA 3.5%, all eastern states 0.9%) in the March
quarter of 2012 according to Renew economy.
They got the information from EnergyQuest, AEMO and PV Output.
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Retire the coal-fired power stations
South Australia's two coal-fired power stations at Port Augusta shut-down,
one permanently; partly due to wind power.
An article in The Advertiser, 2012/04/18, said that the Northern Power
Station would only run in Summer to meet peak demands while the older
Playford Power Station would be shut down permanently.
(The PPS was the dirtiest in Australia in terms of carbon dioxide per unit
of electricity generated.)
It is likely that the coal-fired power stations will be replaced with a
gas-fired station.
It would be much better to replace them with renewables; the Australian
Youth Climate Coallition have a campagn to
Repower Port Augusta with
solar thermal and wind power – please support them.
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This page discusses matters that relate to wind-generated
electricity, especially as it is developing in South Australia.
It is intended to be factual; any opinion or speculation is clearly shown
as such.
I would appreciate being informed of any errors that I might have made (email
address above).
The Australian Energy Market Operator's (AEMO) 2011 SA Supply and
Demand Outlook report stated that wind generation supplies
approximately 20% of electricity demand.
It also showed that SA's greenhouse
emissions from electricity generation had decreased from about
10 000 000 tonnes in 2005/06 to about
8 000 000 tonnes in 2010/11.
In late 2011 almost half of Australia's installed wind power was in
South Australia.
For the year 2011 around 25% of
SA's power was generated
by wind turbines.
Before 2003 there was only one large wind turbine in South Australia:
a 150kW unit at Coober Pedy.
As of October 2011 there was over 1200MW of operational wind farm capacity
in South Australia and the state had about as high an installed capacity of
wind power per capita as any nation in the world (see
Installed wind power per capita
and How does Australia compare?).
On 2012/02/21 Adelaide Now carried an article announcing that Renewable
Energy Commissioner Tim O'Loughlin's position has been terminated 18 months
early.
The Renewable Energy Fund had been scrapped earlier, with more than half
being unspent.
Is seems that Premier Jay Weatherill is not so keen on renewable energy as
was his predecessor, Mike Rann.
Politicians being what they are, one wonders whether Jay sees renewable
energy as Mike's baby and that if he continues to support
wind power he will only be perceived as following in Mike's footsteps.
He would perhaps prefer to be seen as a leader in some other direction
rather than a follower in this direction?
Whatever the reason, it looks like a blow for action on
climate
change.
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It is interesting to compare this with the installed capacity of the solar
photovoltaic power of South Australia's roof-top solar systems.
The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator reported that up to and
including September 2011 the combined total of solar generating capacity of
all the Small Generating Units was 1065MW, of which 559MW had
been installed in 2011 up to September.
Actual productivity as a percentage of installed capacity
(Capacity factor) is about
34% for wind power and 18% for solar power in Australia.
Limit to growth
How much more growth there can be in wind power in SA is questionable
with the present
power transmission network
in dire need of upgrading, but not getting it.
Operating SA wind farms, Megawatts installed capacity
At December 2011
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SA wind farms – average actual generation up to the end of 2012
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| | Total 393MW
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Contrary to lies commonly perpetrated by wind farm opponents:
- Wind farms generate substantial amounts of electricity (24 to 26%
of SA's electricity in 2011, for example);
- Wind farms are responsible for a substantial net decrease in greenhouse
gasses.
This section aims to set out the relevant facts, including some that are
not favourable to wind power.
Other than the graph on the right, where the data came from many sources,
the information of this section has mostly been extracted from two sources:
the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and The Australian Department
of Climate Change.
The graph at the right shows average generation data extracted from AEMO
records for SA wind farms.
Generation data for all Australian farms handled by the AEMO can be seen on my
Wind Power
Australia page and an explanation of how the data were obtained is
given there.
A wind turbine rarely generates at 100% of its installed capacity.
The percentage of the
installed capacity that is actually achieved is called
the capacity factor.
The installed capacities of these wind farms is given
above.
Unfortuneatly, when electricity is most needed, at peak power consumption,
winds tend to be light and wind generation small.
The AEMO (SA Supply and Demand Outlook, 2011) estimated that at time of
summer peak power demand wind will only provide 5%, and at winter peak,
3.5%, respectively, of installed capacity.
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26% or 24%?
Andrew Miskelly, who maintains the
Wind farm performance page,
informed me that he calculated a figure of 23.8% from the AEMO data.
When asked what he thought about the difference between his figure and that
of EnergyQuest he gave me the following:
"EnergyQuest may have used a different method to what I did but they may also
have made the error of considering non-scheduled generation as counted in
total [scheduled] generation, which in effect double counts the non-scheduled
component's contribution.
If I introduce this error into my spreadsheet (by not adding non-scheduled
generation to total generation before calculating wind's proportion) I get a
wind contribution of 25.6% which matches their figure."
Whether the figure is 23.8% or 25.6%, it is still commendably high.
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In March 2012 Adelaide-based energy economics group EnergyQuest chief
executive Dr Graeme Bethune produced a press release which stated, in part:
"... a massive 26% of South Australian electricity was generated by wind, up
from 18% in 2010 and less than 1% five years ago.
Since 2006-07 the share of gas in power generation has fallen from 58% to
49% but the big change has been in coal, which has fallen from 42% to 25%.
Wind is effectively replacing coal."
Dr Bethune informed me (email) that the data on which this was based came
from the AEMO.
With wind power getting ahead of coal it's no wonder that the
Liberals and particularly
Rowan
Ramsey federal Parliamentarian for Grey, where the dirtiest coal-fired
power station in Australia is, are concerned about the falling
profitability of the fossil fuel industry.
According to Andrew Miskelly's calculation (see box on the right) about
3.4 million MWh of electricity were generated by SA's wind turbines in
2011.
Since the wind-generated electricity mostly replaced coal, we can say that
this would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions from electrical generation
by roughly 3.4 million tonnes.
85% of South Australia's electricity was generated by wind turbines
for a short time on the morning of Monday 3rd September (2012/09/03).
SA is way ahead of Texas in the USA, which managed 26% on November 10th
(2012/11/10).
Wind power is providing an increasing proportion of SA's electricity
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Percentage of SA Energy Contribution by Fuel Type
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The graph on the right was extracted from the AEMO 2012 SA Historic Market
Information document.
It shows the substantial growth in the proportion of SA's power that is
made up by wind power.
(Note that this is actual electrical energy generated, in
GWh,
not installed power capacity, in
MW.)
South Australia is of course connected to the SE Australian power grid
which supplies large parts of NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria with
electricity.
SA imported less power, and exported more power, to the other states over
this period (see the graph below).
The increase in wind power generation has played a big part in making the
closing down of the old and polluting, coal burning, Thomas Playford Power
Station at Port Augusta possible.
SA's other coal-burning power station, the Northern Power Station,
also at Port Augusta, is only to be used in the period from October to March
each year in the future.
The 270MW
Snowtown Wind Farm, Stage 2 is
expected to come on-line by the end of 2014, substantially increasing the
proportion of SA's power generated by the wind.
The orange columns are coal-fired power; yellow, gas-fired; blue, wind;
and black is power imported from the eastern states by the interconnectors.
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SA annual electricity imports and exports
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The graph on the right was extracted from the AEMO 2012 SA Historic Market
Information document.
It shows how SA's annual electricity imports from the eastern states have
decreased, and exports increased, in the period over which SA's
wind power has been increasing.
(Orange is power imports, yellow is power exports.)
The AEMO document stated
"Historically, South Australia imported electricity from Victoria, however
from 2006-07 a combination of factors including more expensive interstate
supply, dryer/drought conditions affecting interstate hydro generation
supplies, and an increase in wind farm construction in South Australia led
to changes in the South Australian supply mix.
South Australia now imports and exports energy."
Greenhouse gas emissions due to SA's electricity consumption are
decreasing
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SA annual CO2-e emissions from generation and power imports
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The graph on the right was extracted from the AEMO 2012 SA Historic Market
Information document.
It shows emissions from SA electricity generation
(orange) and from electricity imports (yellow) over the period 2005/06
to 2011/12.
Abatement and
emissions intensity
relating to all Australia's wind farms is discussed elsewhere on these pages.
As installed wind power increases, greenhouse intensity decreases
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SA wind power and greenhouse intensity
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The graph on the right was produced from
greenhouse intensity data
(pink line) extracted
from SA Dept. Climate Change National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System
Measurement Technical Guidelines of 2008 to 2011
and from my own records of SA installed wind power (blue points).
It strongly suggests that the growth of wind power in SA has resulted in
substantial reductions in greenhouse intensity.
How much power do wind farms produce and when do they produce it?
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Normalised generation duration curve for wind in SA
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| | Based on a graph in the 2008 SA ESIPC annual report
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This graph shows the percentage of the time when total wind farm output
in SA exceeds a given percentage of installed capacity.
For example, it shows that 10% of the time the wind farms are producing
about 55% of installed capacity and 60% of the time they are producing
about 18% of installed capacity.
How much power do wind farms produce in peak power demand times?
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Histogram of Normalised Wind Output for High Demand Periods
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| | Figure from 2008 SA ESIPC annual report
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The X and Y axes are the same as on the previous graph.
This graph shows that 50% of the time during periods of high electricity
demand South Australia's wind farms have produced at about 20% of their
installed capacity.
Wind energy availability is lower than average at times of peak demand.
The AEMO SA Supply and Demand Outlook, 2011 stated that "The maximum demand
for the year was 3 433 MW, and occurred 4:30 PM (Australian
Eastern Standard Time) Monday 31 January 2011 (at a temperature of
42.9°C)."
and
"Wind contributed only 60 MW during the summer 2011 maximum demand...
However, at times during the week either side of the maximum demand, that
output reached 873 MW."
Wind farm generation at times of peak demand tends to be low.
Peak demand relies heavily on gas-fired generators.
Summer peak demand days generally coincides with high generation from
solar
power systems, as skies are usually clear at the time.
However, as
the actual peak usually comes late in the day – when people are
coming home from work, turning air conditioners on and preparing dinner
– it coincides with declining solar PV generation.
| Updated from ESIPC Annual Planning Rept. 2009
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| Region | Name | Operator | Fuel | Capacity (MW)
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| Adelaide
| Dry Creek | International Power | Natural gas | 156
| | Osborne (Co-gen) | NRG Flinders | Natural gas
| 190
| | Pelican Point | International Power | Natural gas | 487
| | Quarantine Station | Origin | Natural gas | 227
| | Torrens Island A | AGL Energy | Natural gas | 480
| | Torrens Island B | AGL Energy | Natural gas/oil | 800
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| Northern | Angaston | Infratil | Natural gas
| 49
| | Hallett | AGL | Natural gas | 192
| | Mintaro | International Power | Natural gas | 90
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| Northern (Port Augusta) | NRG Flinders | Coal | 520
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| Playford (Port Augusta) | NRG Flinders | Coal | 240
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| Southeast | Ladbroke Grove | Origin | Natural gas
| 86
| | Snuggery | International Power | Distillate | 78
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| Eyre Peninsula
| Port Lincoln | International Power | Distillate | 48
| | Port Lincoln 3 | Under construction | Distillate | (25)
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| Total of all above
| 3644
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All of these power stations are fossil-fuelled; most use natural gas, the Port
Augusta stations burn coal.
The journal Windpower Monthly (July 2003) stated that the average
electricity load in SA is 1500 MW.
Minimum overnight demand is about 1000 MW (pers. com. Lewis W. Owens,
then Chairman of Essential Services Commission of SA).
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Wind Penetration in SA
Data to 2010 from Intelligent Energy Systems (IES),
Insider, "Penetration and Spot Revenue", 2011.
2011 figure from a March 2012 press release by EnergyQuest.
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| | Total Generation
(GWh)
| Wind Generation
(GWh) | Wind
Penetration
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| 2006 | 11 553 | 714
| 6.2%
| | 2007 | 14 310
| 1 057 | 7.4%
| | 2008 | 14 414
| 1 807 | 12.5%
| | 2009 | 13 976
| 2 334 | 16.7%
| | 2010 (up to October) | 11 617
| 2 001 | 17.2%
| | 2011 | - | -
| 26%
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In 2003 the only large wind turbine in South Australia was a 0.15 MW unit
at Coober Pedy.
In early 2004 there was 34 MW of installed wind power,
in September 2006, 388 MW and in December 2010, 1150 MW.
Unfortunately by March 2011 there was a downturn in wind farm construction.
At that time there was only one small wind farm (Bluff Range, 25 turbines)
under construction in SA, and there were no others ready to begin
construction.
Over the past decade worldwide wind energy generation capacity has been
increasing by around 25% per year while wind energy prices have been falling
by 4% per year.
The next table on the right places the South Australian Government's projects
in perspective against commercial wind farms.
If the SA government was serious about maximising SA's
sustainable power it could spend taxpayer's money much more productively
than on tiny 'showcase' projects, for example by upgrading power
transmission
lines.
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Climate change
is happening and must be minimised;
Australia and the world must move away from fossil fuels.
I don't think that any reasonable and informed person can doubt this any
more.
Unfortunately Australian governments are not giving climate
change the high priority that it needs.
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The lower two sections have been erected for these
Brown Hill Range turbines.
Two more tower sections to go, followed by the turbine itself.
2007/12/12
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Wind, at the present, is the most economically competitive
form of sustainable energy ready to take a significant part of the load,
although solar photovoltaic (PV) is closing the economic gap.
Using biological waste and methane from land-fill to generate electricity
is feasible and is being done, but its capacity is limited.
It is looking
like solar thermal and 'hot dry rock' geothermal is close to being
competitive, but these are not ready yet and will take many years to
'scale-up' to the point where they are major sources of energy.
Wave-power, harnessing algae to produce
fuels, and other alternatives seem further away.
A decade or two could change that picture.
Certainly wind power is not 'the answer' to climate change.
Only a naive person would believe that there is a single answer, and only
a naive person would object to wind power because it is not 'the answer'.
It is a part of 'the answer'.
Other parts are energy conservation, technological innovation, development of
other forms of sustainable energy, and education.
(I have listed some suggestions in
What should be done.)
So, what is the future of wind power in SA?
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ElectraNet
ElectraNet
"Is the principal Transmission Network Service Provider (TNSP) and System
Control Centre Operator in South Australia, and we operate in the National
Electricity Market."
In regard to the future of wind power their SA Annual Planning Report of
2011 stated that:
"Studies show that the existing transmission network has the capacity to
enable up to approximately 2300 MW of wind generation in South Australia
before generation exceeds regional demand and interconnector export capacity.
This means that the currently installed wind generation capacity could
roughly be doubled.
Beyond this, more extensive development of South Australia's renewable
energy resources would require significant transmission investment."
Also in the planning report:
"Inter-regional capacity to export energy from South Australia is limited,
potentially restricting flows from existing and additional generation
connecting in South Australia.
This is particularly noticeable during periods of light load and high wind
conditions".
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Upgrade interconnector
ABC News 2013/01/17 announced that ElectraNet is to "upgrade the Heywood
substation and reconfigure the south-east network at a cost of $108 million".
This will "pave the way for more South Australian wind energy to be
transferred interstate, opening the door for more investment in the
technology."
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If the logic in the few sentences above is correct, then wind power must be
developed to the maximum reasonable degree and as quickly as possible.
Wind farms could be built along most of the west-facing coasts
of South Australia.
That is, from near Ceduna to Coffin Bay on Eyre Peninsula, along much of
the west coast of Yorke Peninsula and from around Meningie to Port
MacDonald in the South East.
Wind turbines could be built along many of the major rounded
north-south ridges of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Southern Flinders
Ranges.
One of the greatest problems for future development of wind power in
South Australia is the
lack of transmission
lines in many of the areas with good wind resources.
No further development is possible on the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas for
lack of transmission capacity, and the huge potential resource on
Kangaroo Island cannot be developed
for the same reason.
I would hope and expect that national parks and conservation parks would
be kept free of wind farm developments.
Will we get sick of the sight of wind turbines?
Quite possibly.
The alternatives, it seems to me, are either to throw caution (and
sanity) to the wind and continue with fossil fuels, or to totally change
our life-styles and enormously cut down on the amount of energy that we
use, in our personal lives and in industry.
I cannot imagine our society being ready or willing to do the latter and
I hope we will not be so stupidly short-sighted as to do the former.
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Wind turbine at Starfish Hill, Fleurieu Peninsula
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Note: Latitudes and Longitudes are given below in decimal degrees.
They are given to two decimal places because this defines the location
to ±1 km; a wind farm is a large thing and typically covers a
number of kilometres.
Note that the wind farms listed here as proposed or approved will not
necessarily ever be built.
You can't be sure that anything is going to be built until it starts
happening.
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Colour coding for wind farm
status, below
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| Proposed
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| Development applic. lodged
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| Approved
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| Under construction
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| Operating
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| Wind generation in SA by region
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| Average generation up to end 2012 in MW (total 399MW).
The averages were calculated from differing starting dates for the
various wind farms.
Mid-North wind farms were responsible for 58% of the total.
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Climate change will result in the
extinction of thousands or even millions of species.
It will cause the displacement of billions of people, and quite possibly the
deaths of billions as well – from flooding of fertile river deltas,
coasts, and desertification of large areas of what is now farm land, and
from the mass migrations and wars that will result.
Ocean acidification, also caused by the release of huge amounts of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere, is another looming disaster.
Australia ranks 53rd in the world in population, but sixth in the world in
the CO2 produced by its electricity industry.
Australia has 0.3% of the world's population, but produces 1.5% of the
world's CO2.
We Australian's have an ethical responsibility to lift our game.
Changing from fossil-fuel generated electricity to sustainably generated
electricity is one way we can do that.
In early 2003 SA had negligible sustainably generated electricity, just
nine years later,
in 2011, 26% of our electricit was generated from
the wind.
That is remarkable progress.
In 2011 both Denmark, the world's leading nation, and SA had around 700
Watts of installed wind power per person.
Mid-North SA
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We in the Mid-North are leading the world in the fight against climate change!
It should be a huge positive, but few people seem to see it as such –
or if they do, they don't talk about it.
Perhaps it's because people feel that they have no part in the wind power
developments, they are just bystanders – and that is true if they
choose to make it true.
(See Why support wind power.)
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I live in Mid-North SA where we have around 12 000 Watts per person
(see graph above)!
If the rest of South Australia, Australia, and the world was to follow our
lead we would be well and truly on top of the climate change problem.
We are well up among the world leaders in renewable energy.
This is something of which those of us in the Mid-North, who either work in
or support the wind industry, should be intensely proud.
It is also progress that is in danger of ending if the
Liberals
should get into government in SA.
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Below is a conceptual map of SA.
The numbers in each cell are the Latitude and
Longitude, the main town in each area is shown in the cells.
Placing the mouse over the highlighted bits will show which wind farms are
in that area, clicking will allow you to get to the details
of those wind farms.
Similar sections are in the pages on
NSW and
Victoria and
WA.
This section can be used as an alternative to the
Wind farm by region section.
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26,133 –
far north, not to scale
Coober Pedy, Leigh Creek, Marla, Woomera
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32,133
Ceduna
| 32,134
Wirrulla
| 32,135
Minnipa
| 32,136
| 32,137
Pt Augusta
| 32,138
Orroroo
| 32,139
Yunta
| 32,140
Olary
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| 33,134
Elliston
| 33,135
Wudinna
| 33,136
Cowell
| 33,137
Whyalla
| 33,138
Clare
| 33,139
Robertstown
| 33,140
Canopus
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| 34,135
Pt Lincoln
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| 34,137
Minlaton
| 34,138
Adelaide
| 34,139
Swan Reach
| 34,140
Renmark
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|
| 35,137
Kingscote
| 35,138
Cape Jervis
| 35,139
Meningie
| 35,140
Lameroo
|
| | | | |
| 36,139
Kingston
| 36,140
Bordertown
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| | | | |
| 37,139
Robe
| 37,140
Mt Gambier
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| 38,140
Pt Macdonnell
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The status of the wind farms below is correct, so far as I know, in April
2011.
Lat 26 to 31, Long 129 to 140 – Far north
Coober Pedy, one turbine, operating.
Lat 32, Long 137 – Port Augusta
Port Augusta, proposed.
Lat 33, Long 136 – Cleve/Cowell
Mount Millar, operating.
Lat 33, Long 138 – Clare
Barn Hill, proposed;
Carmodys Hill, proposed;
Clements Gap, operating;
Crystal Brook, proposed;
Hornsdale, proposed;
Hallett, four stages operating, one proposed;
Snowtown, one stage operating, one proposed;
Stony Gap, proposed;
Waterloo, operating.
Lat 33, Long 139 – Robertstown
Robertstown, proposed;
Worlds End, proposed.
Lat 34, Long 135 – Port Lincoln
Cathedral Rocks, operating.
Lat 34, Long 137 – Ceres Project
Ceres Project, proposed.
Lat 35, Long 137 – Kingscote/Edithburgh
Wattle Point, operating.
Lat 35, Long 138 – Cape Jervis
Myponga-Sellicks Hill,
operating;
Starfish Hill, operating.
Lat 37, Long 139 – Robe
Robe, proposed;
Woakwine, proposed.
Lat 37, Long 140 – Mount Gambier
Canunda, operating;
Lake Bonney, three stages operating.
Lat 38, Long 140 – Port Macdonnell
Allendale, proposed;
Green Point, proposed.
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Also known as Allendale East Wind Farm
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| | Map credit Acciona
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This project was proposed by Acciona Energy.
ABC on-line News announced that Acciona had withdrawn the proposal because
it would not be commercially viable (2013/02/19).
The District Council of Grant granted approval to Acciona's Development
Application in March 2010; however this was appealed; see 'Court case',
below.
It is proposed that the wind farm be about two kilometres east of Allendale
East and about 18 km south of Mount Gambier.
Port Macdonnell is about seven kilometres SW of the farm.
Acciona arranged a visit about September 2010 to the
Waubra Wind Farm for the local
people who are expecting to become a part of the Allendale project.
As well as a guided tour of the wind farm the Allendale people had a chance
to chat to farmers involved in the Waubra Wind Farm.
Court case
A dairy farmer, Richard Paltridge, has brought a case against this wind
farm in the Environment Resources and Development (ERD) Court.
Adelaide Now (2011/01/29) stated that Mr Paltridge "has concerns relating
to the humming noise of the turbines and its possible long-term health
impact, the flashing lights on turbine towers and obstruction of views".
Richard Paltridge's appeal was upheld and Justice Costello, while
rejecting evidence pertaining to health problems, upheld the appeal on
the basis of visual amenity.
(Reported in The Courier
2011/06/24.)
It seems that this is the first time an appeal against a wind farm has been
upheld on visual amenity grounds.
On 2011/07/11 ABC on-line news carried an article stating that Acciona is
appealing against the ERD Court's ruling.
Acciona have not responded to my inquiry regarding community funding at
Waubra; perhaps, unlike a number of other companies, they don't provide any?
Summary data for Allendale Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
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| Project abandoned | 46 | 1.5 | 69
| Unknown | S 38.00° | E 140.78°
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| Further information on Allendale wind farm
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| Tower height | Up to 80m
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| Blade length | Up to 41m
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| Maximum height – to blade tip | Up to 121m
|
| Expected greenhouse CO2 abatement | 180 000 tonnes per year
|
|
This project belongs to AGL who held an information day at Redhill on
2012/03/03.
The project has been approved, but AGL is seeking amendments to the
approval.
AGL seems not to have a Net page specific to the project; which suggests that
they are not very serious about informing the public.
There is a mention of the project at
"http://www.agl.com.au/about/ASXReleases/Pages/
AGLacquirestwowindfarmdevelopmentsfromTransfieldServices.aspx" (there are no
spaces in the URL); but this was written in 2009.
About 4 points out of 10 to AGL for effort!
AGL gave contacts for inquiries as:
Project Manager Evan Carless 02 9921 2214;
Community Engagement Officer Judy Ipper 03 8633 7452
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Approved | Up to 62 | 2.1 to 3 | 130 to 186 | Unknown
| S 33.57° | E 138.16°
|
Barn Hill is a prominent hill about 8 km SW of Red Hill,
about 6 km east of Mundoora and 160 km NNW of Adelaide.
It is conspicuous from the plains
around Port Broughton, and is named The Bluff on some maps.
Stanwell Corporation,
sold their interest in Barn Hill to Transfield Services
Infrastructure in December 2007 and
on 2009/06/18 AGL Energy Limited announced that it had acquired
the rights to Barn Hill Wind Farm.
Transfield held public meetings at Redhill and Mundoora to discuss
development of the wind farm in June 2008;
they submitted a Development Application to the Port Pirie and
Wakefield councils in September 2008 and this was approved in late
January 2009.
The Barn Hill Wind Farm, if it is built rather than simply being sold from
one potential developer to another, will fill the space along the
Barunga Range
between Clements Gap and
Snowtown Wind Farms.
(That is, from the Hope Gap Road in the south to the Torrs Gap Road in the
north.)
| Further information on Barn Hill wind farm
|
|---|
| Estimated average wind speed | 8.3m/sec.
|
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 23 | 2 | 46 | Opened March 2005
| 30% | S 37.61° | E 140.29°
|
The capacity factor above was taken from AEMO data for June 2008
to December 2012 inclusive.
|
|
| |
Wind turbines of Canunda/Lake Bonney
|
|
A 46 MW $92.5M wind farm on Woakwine ridge near Tantanoola
owned by Canunda Power P.L., a wholly owned subsidiary of UK-based
International Power P.L.
IP has a
Net page on the wind farm.
For directions to Canunda go to
ExplorOz.
The first two turbines were switched on in early November 2004.
The wind farm consists of 23 turbines each of 2 MW.
AGL has signed a deal to purchase all the power generated at this
wind farm.
This wind farm was formerly called Lake Bonney Central Wind Farm.
Also see Canunda photos and
notes on visiting Canunda.
| Further information on Canunda Wind Farm
|
|---|
| Wind generators | Vestas 2 MW
|
|---|
| Rotation rate | Between 9 and 19rpm, depending on wind speed
|
|---|
| Tower height | 67m
|
|---|
| Blade length | 39m
|
|---|
| Total height to blade tip | 107m
|
|---|
| Cut-in wind speed | 4m/sec.
|
|---|
| Max. energy wind speed | 14m/sec.
|
|---|
| Cut-out wind speed | 25m/sec.
|
|---|
| Distribution power line | 33kV double-circuit, 16 km long
|
|---|
| Substation | Snuggery
|
|---|
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Data up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Canunda
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
In 2009 Canunda wind farm generated 119 GWh of renewable electricity and
fed it into the National Grid.
Wattle Range Council co-ordinates a Financial Assistance Grant of behalf
of Canunda Power for $4000 annually.
(Pers. Com. C.L. Bell, W.R. Council).
This equates $174 per turbine per year.
(Confirmed by Mark Williams, International Power Australia.)
Sometimes called Gulnare Wind Farm
|
The site is east of Georgetown and runs along 18 km of ridge-line
south from Bundaleer Forest to Mount Misery.
It is about 170 km north of Adelaide.
Summary data for Carmodys Hill Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction date | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | up to 70 | 2.5 | up to 175
| Unknown | S 33.37° | E 138.48°
|
Pac. Hydro have a web page on
the project.
Additional data for Carmodys Hill Wind Farm
| Project cost | Aus$350 million
| | Greenhouse abatement | Estimated at 540 000 tonnes per year
| | Electricity generation | Up to 613 GWh p.a.
|
News
From ABC On-line news, 2013/02/26
The project was approved in 2009, but Pacific Hydro did little work on it.
When the approval came up for renewal again in 2013 Northern Areas Council
rejected it due mainly to lack of progress.
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed |
Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 33 | 2 | 66 | September 2005? | S 34.80
| E 135.56
|
|
Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is south of Port Lincoln in southern Eyre
Peninsula.
Port Lincoln is 250 km west of Adelaide as the crow flies, but
considerably more by road.
It is jointly owned by some combination of TRUenergy, Acciona
and EHN (Oceania) Pty. Ltd.
|
Further data on Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm
| Turbine make | Vestas
|
|---|
| Tower height | 60m
|
|---|
| Rotor diameter | 80m
|
|---|
| Total area covered | 29 square kilometres
|
|---|
| Annual
production | 178 GWh
|
|---|
| Capacity factor | 31%
|
|---|
The annual production and
capacity factor figures above are calculated from
AEMO data for March
2009 to December 2012 data (inclusive) downloaded via the Australian
Landscape Guardians '.csv' format download facility.
I tried to visit this wind farm in February, 2006.
I was disappointed to be
informed that the public does not have access to within even a good viewing
distance. I was able to see it only by using binoculars from the top of
Winters Hill at Pt. Lincoln.
Better views would probably be available from Whaler's Way, on the southern
tip of Eyre Peninsula.
Not all of the turbines were running on 4th and 5th February 2006 in spite of
there seeming to be ample wind.
Fire 2009/02/03
There was a fire in one of the Cathedral Rocks turbines.
ABC On-line news reported that the fire was seen from a nearby boat at
1am (third Feb.)
Damages have been estimated at $6 million.
The fire was confined to the turbine and spots in a small surrounding area
of scrub.
An exercise on smoothing the generation
I have used Cathedral Rocks WF as an example of the possible use of
hydropower (seawater pumped to cliff-tops when there was plenty of wind
and down again through a hydropower station when the wind stopped blowing)
on my Sustainable Energy page.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Cathedral Rocks
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
An inquiry was sent to Roaring 40s (Australia) by email 2010/09/21.
No reply had been received to 2011/01/17.
|
|
| Location plan
|
|---|
| Map credit The Ceres Project
A higher definition map is available from the
Ceres Project.
| |
REpower, part of the Suzlon Group, have proposed that this wind farm be built
in the part of Yorke Peninsula between Ardrossan, Port Vincent and Curramulka.
They have an informative
Net site about the project.
While Suzlon intend to build this wind farm, they will
probably use REpower 3.4 MW turbines; the two businesses are linked.
I started a
Facebook page
on the project 2013/04/22 with the intention of encouraging an open
discussion.
|
|
Latest news
2013/03/28
The District Council of Yorke Peninsula rejected the proposal.
(The decision on whether the wind farm is built is not in council's hands,
but is with the Minister.)
2013/01/19
REpower have applied for planning permission to Salisbury Council for an
electrical substation to be built near Globe Derby Park.
2013/01/08
REpower announced that they had lodged a formal application
with SA's Development Assessment Commission.
|
|
The wind farm will consist of four turbine regions.
Seven years of collected data suggest that average wind speeds are better
than eight metres per second.
If built, this wind farm will be bigger than any currently in Australia,
including the 420 MW
Macarthur Wind Farm
in Victoria.
The power will be sent to Adelaide by an under-sea cable having a diameter
of about 10 cm (the existing power transmission lines on Yorke
Peninsula are at maximum capacity when Wattle Point Wind
Farm is operating at full power).
High voltage direct current
(HVDC) technology will be used.
The lack of suitable transmission lines for the
development of sustainable energy in Australia is discussed elsewhere on
this site.
The project was initiated by local farmers and developers.
The Ceres name comes from a ship that was powered both by sails and steam
and built in 1876.
Its captain, John Germein, bacame an early pioneer of Yorke Peninsula, and
several of his descendents are among the farmers involved in the proposal.
(Ceres is the name of the largest of the asteroids, and the first to be
discovered, in 1801; and also the Roman goddess of agriculture.)
A similar wind farm, with undersea transmission cable, could be built on
Kangaroo Island, where the wind
resource is probably even better than in this area.
This may not have been proposed because of expected public resistance or
because the undersea cable would have to be longer and more expensive.
|
Summary data, Ceres Project
| Status | # Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction date | Lat. | Long.
|
|---|
| Development application lodged | 199 | 3.4? | 680?
| End of 2015 | S 34.61° | E 137.74°
|
Additional data on Ceres Project
| Owner/operator | Suzlon
|
|---|
| Project cost | Aus$1.3 billion
|
|---|
| Capacity factor | More than 38% expected
|
|---|
| Annual generation | About 2000 GWh/yr expected
|
|---|
| Annual CO2 abatement | About two million tonnes
|
|---|
| Equivalent number of rooftop solar systems | About 500 000
(assuming an averge of 2.5kW each)
|
|---|
|
There is significant local opposition to this project, some farmers have
expressed concern because if its perceived impact on
agricultural
aircraft operations, and others object because they feel it is
inappropriate in prime agricultural land.
The Ceres project has a very good
frequently asked
questions section; although it is not without errors.
Opposition
|
|
NSW Farmers Guide to Wind Farms
NSW Farmers have released a
Guide for farmers.
Contrary to the claims made by HF,
under 'Impact of farming activities', this document states
"Host landholders generally find that wind farm development
does not significantly impact farm operations."
The document is generally quite favourable to wind farms, as it should be,
because there are few negatives associated with wind turbines.
|
|
What appears to be the main opposition group,
Heartland Farmers (HF), placed a full
page advertisement in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times on 2013/02/12.
The advertisement contained a number of exaggerations or false statements.
(I have written about
Heartland Farmers and their duplicity
on another page.)
According to the Ceres Project Net page, a total of $150 000 per year
has been promised; while this is a very large total, it is probably a bit
less than average in 'per turbine' terms ($754).
|
Pacific Hydro has a Net site on the
Wind Farm.
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Completed | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 27 | 2.1 | 56.7 | Late 2009
| S 33.50° | E 138.11°
|
|
|
|
The range on which the Clements Gap turbines are to be built.
Clements Gap itself is in the hollow beyond the near hill
2007/10/07
| |
|
|
The first three half-towers are up.
2009/03/23
| |
|
|
18 half-towers up and many blades on-site
2009/04/10
|
|
Clements Gap is about 15 km south of Crystal Brook and 180 km
north of Adelaide.
For directions to Clements Gap go to
ExplorOz.
While the turbines were imported, the towers were manufactured in Adelaide.
Pacific Hydro has a Net page on the project, the full URL is
"http://www.pacifichydro.com.au/en-us/our-projects/australia-/
clements-gap-wind-farm.aspx" (note that there should be no spaces in the URL).
Further information on Clements Gap Wind Farm...
| The project
|
|---|
| Owner/operator | Pacific Hydro
|
|---|
| Estimated cost | Aus$135 million
|
|---|
| Turbine make | Suzlon
|
|---|
| Electricity generation | Estimated 170 GWh/annum
|
|---|
| Capacity factor | 35%
|
|---|
| Greenhouse gas
saving | Estimated 170 000t/yr
|
|---|
| Total cargo to be transported to site | 8 000 tonnes
|
|---|
The capacity factor above was calculated from AEMO data from
August 2009 to December 2012 data (inclusive) downloaded via the Australian
Landscape Guardians Net pages.
| The turbines
|
|---|
| Wind generators | Suzlon S-88-2.1 MW
|
|---|
| Hub height | 80m
|
|---|
| Swept area of each turbine | 0.6ha
|
|---|
| Total steel in towers | 4 400 tonnes
|
|---|
|
Air seems insubstantial, but this can be misleading.
It is interesting to note that at full production ten million tonnes of air
will pass through the 27 turbines of Clements Gap Wind Farm each hour.
Estimated payback time for the "embodied energy" of the whole wind farm
is approximately five months.
Most of the information for this section came from
Pacific Hydro and
Suzlon; in particular Terry Teoh of the former and Megan Wheatley of
the latter.
I did a very short investigation on 2010/07/19.
The closest occupied houses to the turbines of this wind farm seemed to be
at least one kilometre away.
Infrasound testing
The South Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
produced a report titled "Infrasound levels near windfarms and in other
environments" in January 2013.
Clements Gap was one of the wind farms that was used in the study.
|
|
Completed turbines at Clements Gap – not yet all operating –
2009/07/24
|
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Clements Gap
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
Pacific Hydro established a Community Fund of $50 000 per year for
the life of this wind farm; this is $1852 per turbine per year and, so far
as I know, is more than most wind farms put into the local communities.
The first year of operation of the fund was 2009 and as of September
2010 a total of $100k has been distributed.
Clements Gap Wind Farm had air navigation lights on a few of its turbines
from construction at least to August 2010, but they were switched off
by the end of the year.
I have taken sound level readings at Clements Gap on two occasions
(September and October 2010); both
times I recorded a maximum of 54 or 54dB(A) at a distance of around 100m
from a turbine.
Both times the sound levels at distances of 300-500m were in the 40s, and
at one or two kilometres, while the turbines were audible, my meter did
not register a reading (it has a minimum of 40dB).
Also see notes on Visiting
Clements Gap Wind Farm.
Maintenance, May 2012
I noticed on 2012/05/23 that the turbines were not turning in spite of a
stiff breeze.
Lane Crockett of Pacific Hydro told me that he thought there was some
scheduled maintenance happening on the electrical sub-station.
The wind farm did not operate from about 1000hrs on 2012/05/20 to 1930hrs
2012/05/24, with the exception of a short burst between 1600 and 1700hrs on
2012/05/21.
|
|
Coober Pedy wind turbine
Photo credit: Greg Farkas
|
| Status | No. of Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Commissioned | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 1 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 1991
| S 29.03° | E 134.76°
|
This Nordex turbine was the first wind turbine of more than a few kilowatts
capacity to be built in South Australia.
Coober Pedy is a remote town about 750 km NNW of Adelaide.
Its power supply is by expensive-to-run local diesel powered generators, so
even though the area does not have a good wind resource this turbine was
thought to be worth building.
Previously known as Collaby Hill Wind Farm
This wind farm was proposed by Origin Energy.
Origin announced on 2012/04/04 that they have decided to not proceed with
the project.
They gave no specific reason for the decision.
The project was originally proposed by
Wind Farm Developments who never
took the project beyond the feasibility stage.
Origin took the project over from WFD.
|
|
| Where some of the turbines would have
been
|
|---|
| |
Youngs Road near Collaby Hill, looking south
| |
|
| |
Looking north from near Crystal Brook in Spring
|
|
Crystal Brook is about 200km north of Adelaide by road.
The wind farm would have been built on hills that gradually gain in altitude
toward the north and are generally accepted as being the southern-most part
of the
Flinders Ranges, which continue another 350 km to the north.
The Mount Lofty Ranges – geologically the same formation –
extend from near Crystal Brook 270 km to Cape Jervis in the south.
|
|
|
In my opinion, this project was not handled well by Origin.
They did not provide anywhere near as much information to the local
community as they might have done.
Significantly the email I received informing me of Origin's dropping of
the project contained the sentence: "We will not be adding anything
further beyond this statement."
|
|
Originally Origin spoke of 90 turbines, reduced this to 70, and in early
2011 reduced this to 40.
Several local people, myself included, felt that Origin has not provided a
satisfactory explanation for the last reduction in the area of the project.
The proximity of the proposed wind farm to the Heysen Trail would have
provided an opportunity for people to experience, first hand, the sounds and
sites of wind turbines close at hand.
There are few places in South Australia where the public can walk (or drive)
close to a number of operating wind turbines (another will be
Mount Bryan Wind Farm, in the Hallett area,
if it ever gets built).
This would help educate the public and show that wind turbines do not
present a
health hazard.
Most of the land in this area has been cleared and grazed or cropped
for many decades, but there are scattered patches of native scrub.
It seems an excellent site for a wind farm; perhaps some other business
will take up the oportunity some time in the future.
Wind Farm Developments erected a 50m mast with anemometers about 2005 and
later stated that they confirmed the project as viable.
This tower was removed and Origin later built four more towers to
obtain information on the variation of the wind resource around the area.
By August 2010 Origin had eight months of data from their new anemometers
and this, combined with the Wind Farm Developments data, convinced them
that the resource was of sufficient quality for a viable wind farm.
As a resident of Crystal Brook I had looked forward to the construction of
this wind farm with great anticipation.
The closest turbines would have been around 4 km from my house.
A local group calling itself the Collaby Hill Wind Farm Action Group formed
to oppose the project in 2010.
This seems to have been composed of a number of the people who lived near
the proposed turbines, but would not directly receive income from turbines
on their land (one would have to say that they were motivated by the
NIMBY factor).
It was this proposal that got Dr Sarah Laurie started in her
ill advised campaign, and that was one
of the causes for me to write my
wind farms and health.
|
|
|
This section written 2010/09/05
|
|
|
|
|
The wind resources of Eyre Peninsula; click on the image for a larger
map.
Image courtesy of Renewables-SA
|
|
The Eyre Peninsula has some of the best wind resources in Australia;
see the map on the right and the
Australian wind resource map on the
Wind Power Potential page.
Tim O'Loughlin said that "four internationally experienced wind developers
were ready to build more than 2000 MW" of wind farms if transmission
constraints could be overcome.
A $4.5b project has been discussed by Tim O'Loughlin (SA Commissioner for
Renewable Energy), representatives of Macquarie Capital, and SA Premier
Mike Rann.
The project involves a 'Green Grid'
(set of high capacity electricity transmission
lines) for Eyre Peninsula and an interstate connector that would be built
from Port Augusta via south-east SA to Heywood in Victoria.
(This would also permit better use of the existing wind farms in the SE
and development of more resources there.)
The existing power transmission lines on Eyre Peninsula (as shown on the map)
are only 66kV and have no reserve capacity.
It has been proposed that a high capacity transmission line be constructed to
enable the development of four areas in particular:
- Western (around Elliston);
- Central (north of Cleve);
- Northern (north-west of Port Augusta);
- Southern (north of Port Lincoln);
Stage one would connect the first two areas (at an estimated cost of $613m),
stage two would connect the other two.
The interstate connector is expected to cost $840m.
Average wind speeds in these areas are anticipated to be greater than
eight metres per second, a
capacity factor of greater than 38% is
expected to be achievable and 10 GW (10 000 MW) of wind power
capacity
could be installed (3000 to 5000 turbines of the size being built in 2010).
Similar power lines have been built at government expense for coal-fired
power stations and mines in the past, but never for renewable energy in
Australia.
Power lines specifically for development of wind resources have been built
in Texas.
The Leigh Creek coal reserves that supply the power stations at Port
Augusta are expected to run out around 2017.
The new wind power and interstate connector will go a long way to fill the
gap in the national power supply when the Port Augusta power stations close
down.
(Also see Capacities of conventional power stations.)
The Port Augusta Transcontinental on-line news carried and article on the
proposal dated 2010/09/01.
|
REVE announced that Spanish company "Acciona has lodged plans to develop
a 144 MW wind power plant with Australia's government".
It is proposed to be about
15 km north of Naracoorte in southeast SA.
The REVE article went on to state that the development application could be
submitted as early as the end of 2012.
|
Summary data on Exmoor Wind Farm
| Status | # Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction date | Lat. | Long.
|
|---|
| Proposed | 48 | 3 | 144
| Unknown | S 36.83° | E 140.74°
|
|
There seems to have been little or no work on this project for several
years (as of June 2009).
|
| Status | No. of Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction date | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Approved | 18 | 3 | 54
| Undecided | S 38.05° | E 140.85°
|
|
Wind Prospect have planning approval from the District Council of Grant
for this wind farm on the coast of south-eastern South Australia
between Port Macdonnell and Victorian border.
There seems little other information available.
Wind Prospect had a page on Green Point, but have removed it.
In late February 2009 54 Suzlon turbines became available to AGL (for use at
Hallett).
It seems that these were from a third party who had cancelled an order
with Suzlon.
Green Point seems to be the only Australian wind farm in the pipeline with
54 turbines planned.
Of course this may be no more than coincidence, the cancelled order might
not even have been Australian.
|
|
As of July 2012 the Hallett group, if considered to be a unit, comprised
the biggest wind farm in Australia (350.7 MW installed capacity).
Second biggest is Lake Bonney (SA) at 278.5 MW, third is
Collgar (WA) at 206 MW and fourth
Waubra (Vic) at 192 MW.
(All the power from the first four stages of the Hallett group goes to a
single substation before being fed into the power transmission grid.)
Not only is the Hallett group the biggest in installed capacity, it is by
far the most productive wind farm in Australia, generating an average of
about 134 MW.
This is almost twice as much power as Waubra (in second place) which is
averaging about 71 MW and Lake Bonney at 70 MW.
Unfortunately generation data are not made public from WA wind farms so I
can say nothing about where Collgar stands.
The individual Hallett wind farms...
I have been informed that
RPG Australia made the tower
sections for the Hallett wind farms in Adelaide.
A confusing feature of the Hallett area is that:
- Hallett Hill (the hill and the wind farm) is close to the township of
Mount Bryan, much further from the township of Hallett.
- Mount Bryan (the geographical feature and the proposed wind farm) is close
to the township of Hallett, much further from the township of Mount Bryan.
See the map below.
The conspicuous wind turbines along the more prominent ridges has greatly
changed the appearance of the landscapes in the Hallett/Mount Bryan area.
Not only are there many high capacity turbines at Hallett, but they are
very productive; up to September 2010 both Brown Hill Range and Hallett Hill
had achieved capacity factors of 39 to 40%, resulting in the Hallett wind farms
generating more power than any other in Australia.
40% is exceptionally high for any wind farm and it is at least partly due to
the very high quality of the wind resource in the area.
|
|
|
AGL provide $15 000 per year for each of the Hallett
wind farms numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5; if number 3 (Mount Bryan) is approved
AGL have promised $30 000 per year for it.
|
|
Hallett is also ideal for wind farm development because of excess capacity
in the electricity transmission line that passes through the area –
it was built in the expectation of further development of coal-fired power
in Port Augusta that never happened
– and the natural gas pipeline that is available for electricity
generation to fill-in when the wind isn't blowing.
(Note that, as has been the case elsewhere, the
transmission lines were
not built to harvest the renewable power of the wind.)
I believe that the closest occupied houses to the Hallett turbines are
generally about one kilometre from the turbines.
|
Wind turbines on Brown Hill Range at sunrise.
Booborowie Valley on the left.
Brown Hill Range is one of the Hallett wind farms.
|
The Hallett wind farms are a group of six, five of which were originally
proposed by
Wind Prospect; all are in
the area around Hallett and Mount Bryan, north of Burra.
The sixth, North Brown Hill Wind Farm, was added later.
They are all around 170 km north of Adelaide.
The originally proposed five developments aimed to have an output capacity
of about 320 MW produced by 160 two-megawatt turbines.
| Map of some of the Hallett wind farm locations (and proposed
locations)
|
|---|
|
Acknowledgment, AGL, April 2009
Bluff Range Wind Farm, Hallett #5, is roughly half way between #1 and #3,
on the south side of the Wilkins Highway.
|
| Costs, other than $/MWh, are in thousands of
dollars
| | Hallett 1 | Hallett 2 | Hallett 3 | Hallett 4 | Hallett 5
| | Pre op. costs | $232 837
| $192 147 | $2 833
| $338 922 | $130 000
| | Operations | $6 750
| $5 100 |
| $9 450 | $3 750
| | Annual cost of capital | $17 463
| $14 411 |
| $25 419 | $9 750
| | Total annual costs | $24 213
| $19 511 |
| $34 869 | $13 500
| | Annual generation, MWh | 327 367
| 242 036 | 242 827
| 463 579 | 183 960
| | $/MWh | $74
| $81 |
| $75 | $73
|
|---|
|
On this table the pre-operating and operating costs were taken from SKM's
'Hallett Economic Impact Report', I estimated the annual cost of capital
at (discount rate) 7.5%, the generation is calculated from actual figures
from the AEMO – as explained in
power generation of wind farms for
Hallett#1 and Hallett#2 – and estimated by SKM for the others.
See also cost of wind power.
|
(One of the Hallett group,
Hallett #5)
Bluff Range Wind Farm is about 10 km West of Hallett, 5 km SE of the
Hallett natural gas-fired power station and 170 km north of Adelaide.
Summary data for Bluff Range Wind Farm
| Status | No. of Turbines | MW each | Total MW | Cap. Fac.
| Completion | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 25 | 2.1 | 52.5 | 35% | Late 2011
| S 33.37° | E 138.80°
|
The capacity factor is calculated from data recorded in the period
September 2011 to December 2012, inclusive.
| |
| Photo credit AGL (webcam); Camera 02, 2011/04/30
First turbine completed
|
| | |
| |
| | Construction.
The tractor and prime-mover in the foreground are delivering the top section
of the No. 4 tower to its site, 2011/05/25
|
| | |
| |
| | Southern section soon after tower completion, 2011/05/25
|
|
On 2012/05/14
ReCharge (writer, Oliver Wagg) announced that this wind farm had been
sold to Japan's Eurus.
AGL will retain rights to all large-scale generation certificates and
electricity output until 2036.
The early part of the construction of this wind farm started around mid
August 2010.
It has 24 Suzlon S-88 V3 2.1 MW turbines (and a prototype S-97 –
more below).
(The S-88 is an abbreviation: the S is for Suzlon, the 88 indicates an 88m
diameter.)
A spokesman for AGL said that the project will create more than 120
jobs during the construction phase.
Suzlon released a newsletter 2011/06/22.
The last of the S88 turbines was almost in position and the overhead lines
were competed.
It was expected that the wind farm would be handed over to AGL some time
in December.
Cleanup and remediation, including grading disturbed areas, reseeding,
and final drainage modifications were underway.
A prototype S-97 turbine has been included in the project.
Tim Knill – AGL, Manager Power Development – informed me
(2011/06/31) that it was expected that the S-97 "will produce about 15% more
energy due to [its] larger rotor".
One of two types of concrete bases or
turbine footings are
commonly used for wind turbines.
Gravity footings rely on a
large and heavy mass of concrete to hold the
turbine in place, while, if suitable bedrock is present a smaller mass of
concrete can be bolted to the bedrock using rock anchors.
Rock anchors were used on this project.
AGL have set up 2
web cams on site and hope to make the
images available to the public.
I saw on the webcam that the first turbine was completed by 2011/04/30
(photo on right).
Additional data on Bluff Range Wind Farm
| Turbine height | 80m
|
|---|
| Max. blade tip height | 124m
|
|---|
| Length of on-site access tracks | About 9 km
|
|---|
| Greenhouse gas (CO2) abatement | 161 000t per year expected
|
|---|
| The following came to light when AGL sold the wind farm
in May 2011
|
|---|
| Total project cost | $129m
|
|---|
| Employment | Up to 100 during construction, 4 during operation
|
|---|
| Expected output | Approximately 159 GWh p.a.
|
|---|
| Average wind speed | 7.9m/s
|
|---|
| Effective Electricity + LGC off-take price | July 2012 –
June 2014: $93/MWh
July 2014: $110/MWh
|
|---|
| Development fees | $30 million in FY2012
|
|---|
AGL have established a Community Fund program of $15 000 per year;
this is $600 per turbine per year and is indexed to the CPI.
AGL's community funding is less than for several other wind farms,
compare to the $50k per year community fund for the similarly sized
Clements Gap Wind Farm 60 km to the
west.
Infrasound testing
The South Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
produced a report titled "Infrasound levels near windfarms and in other
environments" in January 2013.
Bluff Range was one of the wind farms that was used in the study.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to the end of 2011
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for
Bluff Range
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
(One of the Hallett group, Hallett #1)
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Commissioned
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 45 | 2.1 | 94.5 | June 13th 2008
| 40% | S 33.36° | E 138.71°
|
The capacity factor above was calculated from AEMO data (July 2009 to
December 2012 inclusive) and is
among the best I have calculated for Australian wind farms.
| |
The first Hallett turbine; from Bundaleer forest
|
This wind farm is about 15 km East of Hallett
(map)
and consists of 45
turbines each of 2.1 MW, it was officially commissioned on June 13th 2008,
although was largely operational several months earlier.
I believe that it is owned by a superannuation company and
its power is being bought by AGL.
A company named Wind Prospect first proposed the farm and did initial
work on assessing the wind resource and planning a possible layout.
Further data on Brown Hill Range Wind Farm
| Cost of development | $5.4m
|
|---|
| Cost of construction | $227.5m
|
|---|
| Cost of first 2 years operations | $10.5m
|
|---|
The turbines are Suzlon S-88 2.1 MW machines and the farm was constructed
by Suzlon.
The Suzlon parent company is based in Pune, India.
For directions to Brown Hill Range go to
ExplorOz.
The cost of generating power at this wind farm are calculated on my
Wind Power page.
Brendan Ryan (of Suzlon) informed me that they used Brett Lane and
Associates of Melbourne for bird and bat monitoring.
Lane et al apparently wrote the wind industry's 'best practice'
recommendations for bird and bat monitoring.
I must express my thanks to Peter Reed and Brendan Ryan of Suzlon for
their help in keeping me informed and showing me around this wind farm.
Bright air navigation lights were installed
on perhaps 20 of the towers at Brown Hill Range shortly after construction.
These lights were turned off around the end of 2009, and seem not likely
to be turned back on.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for
Brown Hill Range
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
AGL have established a Community Fund program of $15 000 per year;
this is $333 per turbine per year and is indexed to the CPI.
Also see Brown Hill Range Wind Farm photos,
notes on visiting.
More information on the wind farm is given on the
Suzlon site.
A 623kB pdf file is available at "http://www.suzlon.com/images/common/AGL
Hallett Wind Farm project profile.pdf".
(One of the Hallett group, Hallett #2)
| |
Some of the Hallett Hill turbines with one of the few remnant sheoak
(Allocasuarina stricta) trees in the foreground
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Capacity factor | Completed | Lat | Long | Cost
|
|---|
| Operating
| 34 | 2.1 | 71.4 | 41% | Late 2009 | S 33.55° | E 138.86°
| $166m
|
The capacity factor above was calculated from AEMO data (July 2009 to
December 2012 inclusive)
and is among the best I have calculated for Australian wind farms.
|
|
|
Working on the works depot for Hallett Hill Wind Farm
2008/08/25
| |
|
|
Several turbines completed
Photographed from Clare, 40 km away
2009/04/01
| |
A copy of AGL's location map is
above;
for directions to Hallett Hill go to ExplorOz.
Hallett Hill Wind Farm is about 15 km South of Hallett and a very few
kilometres west of the township of Mount Bryan.
It is the only farm of the Hallett group owned by ANZ (through fully-owned
subsidiaries Energy Infrastructure Trust and Infrastructure Capital Group
Ltd).
ABC on-line news, 2008/08/29, reported that:
"Energy company AGL has sold
its wind farm near Burra in the mid-north of South Australia in a deal it
says is worth $59 million.
Energy Infrastructure Trust will own the Hallett Hill Wind Farm and fund
the rest of the project's construction.
But AGL will operate and maintain the wind farm and buy all the
electricity produced."
The wind farm was constructed by Suzlon using Suzlon S-88 V3 turbines.
I believe the tube sections of the towers were manufactured in Adelaide.
AGL shut down 16 of the 34 turbines at Hallett Hill from 7pm to 7am.
I only heard about this in late 2011, but AGL talk of "becoming aware of
the tonality problem in December 2010"
Their press release included the following...
"AGL Energy (AGL), operator of the Hallett Hill wind farm (Hallett 2) in
mid-north South Australia near the township of Mt Bryan, has taken a range
of steps to deal with a noise complaint at Hallett 2.
During commissioning of Hallett 2, which consists of 34 x 2.1 MW wind
turbines, extensive noise testing and monitoring was carried out by
specialist noise consultants to determine compliance with noise guidelines.
When a resident neighbouring the wind farm raised concerns about noise, AGL
engaged a specialist noise consultant to assess noise conditions at the
residence.
During the second round of noise testing at the residence, preliminary
results showed that some audible tones were detected under certain
conditions.
Upon becoming aware of the tonality issue in December 2010, AGL promptly
shut down a number of wind turbines in proximity to the residence.
Sixteen (16) of the 34 turbines are currently shut down at night.
AGL has been working with the turbine supplier to rectify the defect and
co-ordinate testing with the neighbouring resident.
The supplier has developed a permanent acoustic treatment to address the
tonality issue."
On 2012/01/05 I received the following from Adam Mackett, AGL's man in
charge of Hallett Hill Wind Farm:
"The sixteen wind turbines were shutdown in late October and progressively
returned to full operation after the permanent acoustic treatment was
installed at each turbine."
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Hallett Hill
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
Bright air navigation lights were installed
on a number of the towers at Hallett Hill shortly after construction.
These lights were turned off around the end of 2009, and seem not likely
to be turned back on.
|
|
|
Further data on Hallett Hill Wind Farm
| | Cost of development | $3.0m
| | Cost of construction | $189.1m
| | Cost of first half year's operations | $3.1m
| | Hub height | 80m
| | Max. blade tip height | 124m
| | Swept area of each turbine | 0.6ha
| | No. truck journeys during construction | 1240
| | High tension cable for rock-anchor footings | 130 km
| | Rock trenching for 33kV reticulation | 17 km
| | Concrete used | 3400m3
| | Steel for towers | 5800 t
| | Underground cable | 17 km
| | Overhead cable | 10 km
| | Total weight of material transported to site | 10 350t
| | This information was from Suzlon and AGL
|
|
AGL have established a Community Fund program of $15 000 per year;
this is $441 per turbine per year and is indexed to the CPI.
Speech from a Mount Bryan resident
At the Lions Club in February 2013, Anita Butcher gave a
speech as a part of
the Youth of the Year selection process.
Ms Butcher lives in Mount Bryan, 3km from the turbines of Hallett Hill Wind
Farm.
|
(One of the Hallett group, Hallett #3)
This project has had a quite complex history in several law courts.
AGL has announced (August 2012) that wind turbine technology has
significantly changed since the earlier Development Application to the point
where they need to cease legal activity on the old DA and submit a new one.
Summary data for Mount Bryan Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | 33? | ? | ? | Unknown
| S 33.43° | E 138.96°
|
The details of this proposal are undecided – see note
above
|
|
|
| The wind farm area; Hallett is on the left. (Google Earth)
The wind turbines are to be built on the ridge-tops on the right
two-thirds of the image.
|
|
Mount Bryan Wind Farm is to be built near Mount Bryan (the hill, not
the township), about 5 km
East of Hallett, and about 12 km NNE of Mount Bryan township
(map).
There has been some concern over a remnant stand of Eucalyptus trees
(Eucalyptus globulus bicostata) in this area (April 2008).
It seems that this particular stand of trees could be up to 4000 years old.
Sandra Kanck (then South Australian Democrat MLC) said that the stand of
trees is only 20m from one of the proposed turbines.
(I believe the site of this turbine has been moved because of these trees.)
While this stand of E. globulus bicostata may be the only one known in
South Australia, the species is common in the Otway Ranges in Victoria.
|
|
| A general view of the Mount Bryan area
The brownish area on the distant hill-side is soil bared by overgrazing
|
| |
| |
| From the Heysen Trail, Mount Bryan
Soil bared by overgrazing is conspicuous in the lower half of this photo.
|
|
Several people who are opposed to wind farms in the Hallett area have
claimed that there will be much damage to native vegetation if the Mount
Bryan Wind Farm is built; both the aerial view and two photos on the right
show that there is practically no scrub right on the ridge-tops.
The area has been subject to sheep grazing for well over a hundred years
and the native vegetation is greatly degraded; as shown particularly in
the lower photo on the right.
An email from Tim Knill of AGL Energy (12th March 2010) included the
following on ecology: "there are some patches of native grass/shrubs but
very few trees on the ridge tops.
Any unavoidable clearance of native vegetation will require conservation
set-aside areas to be established.
We expect that all trees will be protected."
The Heysen Trail passes over Mount Bryan and on to Hallett (through the
broader valley in the lower right of the aerial view).
I walked this section of the Trail on 30th August 2010.
The view on the upper right is fairly typical of the Mount Bryan range.
There are more large gums in some of the lower areas, there are more shrubs
on some of the hill-sides, there is more conspicuous damage from
over-grazing in some areas (lower photo).
I am informed by a reliable source (Millie Nicholls) that the shrubs, which
are very common in the area, are Melicytus dentata, common name tree
violet.
These all appeared to be very heavily grazed.
(I have other images of the Mount Bryan area if anyone needs them.)
Once built the wind farm will make this section of the Heysen Trail much
more popular because it will present an opportunity for people to walk
a dedicated walking trail close to, and among, a group of modern wind
turbines.
I cannot think of any comparable opportunity elsewhere.
Providing this first hand experience – seeing and hearing
wind turbines at close range – to many people must help educate the
public on the facts
of wind turbine sound levels and visual impact.
At various points along this section of the Heysen Trail there are views
of the Hallett Hill Wind Farm, some seven kilometres to the SW, and the
more distant Brown Hill Range wind farms to the NW.
Further data on Mount Bryan Wind Farm
| Expected CO2 abatement | 256 000 tonnes per year
|
|---|
| Payback time for embodied energy | About six months
|
|---|
| Average wind speed at hub height | About 9.0 metres per second
|
|---|
| Expected capacity factor | 43%
|
|---|
Mount Bryan wind farm is expected to be one of the most productive (in
proportion to its size) in Australia.
(One of the Hallett group, Hallett #4)
Summary data for North Brown Hill Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Capacity factor
| Completion | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 63 | 2.1 | 132.3 | 39% | Early 2011
| S 33.19° | E 138.75°
|
The capacity factor is calculated from AEMO data for January 2011
to December 2012 inclusive.
Note that fine tuning was happening during this period.
This wind farm is about 23 km from Hallett
(map)
and immediately north of the Brown Hill Range Wind Farm (Hallett #1).
Wind Prospect has quite a detailed
Net page about
the project and you may find information about the project on
AGL's site.
First power into the grid was 2010/08/14.
As of 2010/10/20 all turbines have been fully erected, one section has
been handed over to AGL and other sections were going through reliability
testing and commissioning.
Power fed into the national grid was still increasing, but the best so
far was more than 70 MW.
|
|
| Further data on North Brown Hill
|
|---|
| Development cost | $5.4m
| | Construction cost | $333.5m
| | Turbine type | Suzlon S-88 V3 2.1 MW
| | Long term average wind speed | 8.5M/sec.
| | The information on this table was from AGL's Net site.
| |
EcoGeneration, 2009/10/12 ran a news article stating that AGL had sold
North Brown Hill (Hallett #4) to the Energy Infrastructure Investments
consortium.
North Brown Hill will be one of the the biggest wind farm in SA and
in Australia.
Ward Civil won the contract for the footings of North Brown Hill and,
I believe, made rock anchor bases that are smaller than
previously used in the area.
I believe they took around 50 cubic metres of concrete each and are 1.4m
deep rather than the 2.3m deep bases Built Environs designed ones for
earlier Hallett wind farms.
AGL sold this wind farm to the Energy Infrastructure Investments consortium
about October 2009.
|
| A misty morning at North Brown Hill
|
|---|
| | The nearer turbine was operating, the others did not have
enough breeze
|
|
|
| Early generation
|
|---|
| | Generation ramping up at North Brown Hill, data to
2010/11/16
|
| |
| |
| Generation record
|
|---|
| Generation record for North Brown Hill Wind Farm
Up to end 2012
|
|
The graphs on the right show the power generation record for North
Brown Hill Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator)
and downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The upper graph shows average generation in the early period of operation.
The lower graph shows average megawatts generated month by month over a longer
period.
AGL have established a Community Fund program of $15 000 per year;
this is $238 per turbine per year and is indexed to the CPI.
Alternatively called Willogoleche Power Wind Farm
(One of the original Hallett group proposed by Wind Prospect.)
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | 37 | 2.1? | About 78? | Undecided
| S 33.41° | E 138.84°
|
|
International Power has proposed building this wind farm about 5 km West of
Hallett.
I gather they have created a subsidiary company called Willogoleche Power
to build this farm.
A post on ABC on-line news, 2011/07/14, stated that a proposed extension
of from 26 turbines to 37 turbines was approved by the Goyder Council.
ABC News, 2011/12/08, reported that an appeal against the increased number
of turbines by six Mid-North residents had been withdrawn after an
out-of-court agreement between them and the developer.
International Power also own Canunda Wind
Farm, for which they provide a small community assistance fund.
|
|
|
|
| Location of Hornsdale
|
|---|
| Image credit Investec Bank
A higher resolution map is available on the Hornsdale Net site
| |
Investec Bank (Australia) Limited is proposing this in the area between
Appila, Tarcowie, Mannanarie and Jamestown, in the Mid-North of SA.
At the closest point it will be about 10 km NNW of Jamestown.
Investec have a Net site
on the project.
A map of the boundaries of the wind farm is included on the Net site.
Adelaide Now carried an article on 2012/07/06 announcing that the project
had received approval from the Development Assessment Commission (in May)
and from Minister John Rau (2012/07/05).
The electricity generated will go to a sub-station on site, then to the
existing 275 kV power transmission line that runs through the area.
Contacts for inquiries: Email: enquiries@hornsdalewindfarm.com.au
Phone: 1800 015 398
Fax: 02 9293 2322
On the grapevine, early February 2013; Investec are working on tenders.
I am informed that while Investec is not willing to commit to a community
fund in regard to this project at present, they do have community funds
operating for other projects that they have commissioned.
Summary data, Hornsdale Wind Farm
| Status | # Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Operation expected | Lat. | Long.
|
|---|
| Approved | 105 | 2 to 3? | Up to 315
| 2014 or 2015 | S 33.05° | E 138.54°
|
The figures above came from Investec's Net pages
Additional data on Hornsdale Wind Farm
| Owner/operator | Investec Bank (Aus) Ltd.
|
|---|
| Project cost | Aus$900 million
|
|---|
| Annual generation | 1050 GWh expected
|
|---|
| CO2 abated | 1 250 000 tonnes per annum expected
|
|---|
| Operating life | 25 years expected
|
|---|
| Turbine type | Not yet decided (Sept. 2011)
|
|---|
| Total height | 150 m, to blade tip (max.)
|
|---|
|
Pacific
Hydro are proposing this wind farm near the township of Keyneton
which is about 65 km NE of Adelaide in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Six landholders have agreed to host the turbines.
The wind farm will not have aviation lighting.
Pacific Hydro say that "the site boundary is approximately three kilometres
east of Keyneton and that it will connect to the grid via a transmission
line that crosses the site.
It is expected that the turbines will be at least 1.5 km from the nearest
homes.
Pacific Hydro have run at least two public information sessions.
News 2012/06/29: Pacific Hydro has lodged its development application.
I have independent information that there isn't much remnant vegetation
that will be affected.
"The area has been grazed for 150 years and there isn't much left."
The same source informed me that Pacific Hydro have done "a particularly
good job of consulting the community".
|
Summary data on Keyneton Wind Farm
| Status | # Turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction date | Lat. | Long.
|
|---|
| Development application lodged | 42 | 2 to 3 | Up to 130
| Unknown | S 34.56° | E 139.09°
|
There were originally 57 turbines proposed.
|
Pacific Hydro are one of the more generous companies in regard to Community
Funds.
|
|
|
In the Southeast of South Australia near Millicent, this group of wind farms
follows a line of stabilised sand dunes parallel to the coast,
in a NW-SE direction.
The owner was Babcock and Brown Wind Partners, more recently N.P. Power and
Infigen Energy.
Obtaining information on these wind farms is particularly difficult.
|
The individual Lake Bonney wind farms...
|
As of February 2012 the Lake Bonney wind farms, combined, have the second
highest installed capacity of any wind farms in Australia (after the
Hallett group), however, because of the
poor capacity factors achieved, both the Hallett (SA) and Waubra (Vic.) wind
farms generate more electricity.
All three stages connect to the transmission grid via the 132kV Mayurra
substation.
|
|
This farm is located on the
Woakwine Range about 2 km from the eastern shore of Lake Bonney,
near Millicent.
For directions to Lake Bonney Wind Farm go to
ExplorOz.
|
Summary data for Lake Bonney Stage 1
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 46 | 1.75 | 80.5 | March 2005
| 26% | S 37.71° | E 140.38°
|
|
The capacity factor above was calculated from AEMO data (March 2009 to
December 2012 inclusive) and downloaded via the ALG Net site.
|
| |
Wind turbines of Canunda/Lake Bonney
|
|
Lake Bonney photos,
notes on visiting.
In the Australian Electricity Generation Report of 2008, available from
Australian Policy Online, this
wind farm is listed as the ninth largest renewable energy power station
in mainland eastern Australia, and the fourth largest wind farm, by
generation for 2008, generating 204 MWh.
|
More data on Lake Bonney Stage 1
| The project
|
|---|
| The resource
|
|---|
| Average wind speed | More than 7m/sec. at hub height
| | The turbines
|
|---|
| Turbine type | Vestas V66, 1.75 MW
| | Diameter of rotor | 66m
| | Blade length | Approx. 32m
| | Blade material | Fibreglass
| | Tower height | 67m
| | Tower material | Steel
|
|
Much of the data in this table came from Miles George of Infigen Energy.
|
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for
Lake Bonney Stage 1
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
An inquiry was sent to Infigen Energy 2010/09/19.
|
|
Owned by Infigen Energy, who had a Net page on the farm, but it's no longer
available.
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 53 | 3 | 159 | September 2008
| 25% | S 37.81° | E 140.41°
|
The capacity factor above was calculated from AEMO data (August 2009
to December 2012 inclusive) and downloaded via the ALG Net site.
|
This wind farm commenced full commercial operation in September 2008.
In the Australian Electricity Generation Report of 2008, available from
Australian Policy Online, this
wind farm is listed as the third largest renewable energy power station
in mainland eastern Australia, and the largest wind farm, by generation for
2008, generating 373 MWh.
|
More data on Lake Bonney Stage 2
| The Project
|
|---|
| Cost | Approx. Aus$400 million
| | The resource
|
|---|
| Average wind speed | More than 7m/sec. at hub height
| | The turbines
|
|---|
| Turbine type | Vestas V90 3 MW
| | Tower height, to hub | 78m
| | Tower material | Steel
| | Rotor diameter | 90m
| | Blade length | Approx. 44m
| | Blade material | Fibreglass
|
|
Much of the data in this table came from Miles George of Infigen Energy.
|
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for
Lake Bonney Stage 2
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
|
|
This stage is, like the other two, close to Lake Bonney and is owned by
Infigen Energy (who have taken over the business of the old Babcock and
Brown Wind Partners).
While Infigen seem not to have a Net page on this project,
Aurecon do.
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 13 | 3 | 39 | December 2009
| 26% | S ?° | E ?°
|
The capacity factor was calculated from AEMO data for the period from
August 2010 to December 2012 inclusive.
The turbines are Vestas V90 models, 3 MW each.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for
Lake Bonney Stage 3
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
|
|
Trust Power proposed this wind farm to be built south of Sellicks beach
and north of Myponga, near Mount Terrible and Mount Jeffcott,
on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Trust Power's
Net site seems not to have been updated for a long time.
Summary data
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Approved | 16 | 2.1? | 33.6? | Unknown
| S 35.38° | E 138.44°
|
Shortly after it being reported that construction would start in early 2010
the South Australian Government announced that it has refused to vary
major development approval of the wind farm (Trust Power wanted to build
taller towers, 110m high).
Subsequently Trust Power stated they would drop the project.
This all happened in late August, early September 2009.
In January 2011 SA Planning Minister Paul Holloway said that it is no
longer appropriate to grant further extension of the development approval.
|
Owned by Meridian Power of New Zealand,
an interesting article can be found on the
Eyre Peninsula Tribune
site.
(Mount Millar Wind Farm was developed by Tarong, then sold to Transfield,
and passed to Meridian in May 2010.)
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 35 | 2 | 70 | December 2005
| 30% | S 33.63° | E 136.68°
|
The capacity factor above was taken from AEMO data via the ALG Net pages and
uses data from January 2009 to December 2012 inclusive.
|
|
One of the Mount Millar wind turbines near Cowell and Cleve, South Australia;
at sunset
|
Mount Millar is a 70 MW wind farm in the Cowell-Cleve area of Eyre
Peninsula, about 220 km NW of Adelaide, as the crow flies.
For directions to Mount Millar go to
ExplorOz.
This wind farm was previously called Yabmana.
It is built along seven kilometres of hill-top roughly between Cowell and
Cleve.
(It is sign-posted from the Cowell-Cleve road.)
The Eyre Peninsula Tribune, on 14th March 2006,
stated that construction of this wind farm started
in late 2004 and was completed in December 2005. Power started
being generated on February 28th 2006.
This is an interesting and scenic wind farm to
visit.
Most of the turbines are quite close to a public road along a ridge top with
good views over Spencer Gulf.
|
Some of the Mount Millar wind turbines; late afternoon
You can see more photos of Mount Millar Wind Farm.
|
More data on Mount Millar Wind Farm
| Project cost | Aust$130 million
|
|---|
| Footings
|
|---|
| Footing type | Mass
|
|---|
Mass footing rely on their weight to hold the turbine
in place,
rather than the alternative of bolting them to the bedrock.
|
| Footing diameter | 20m
|
|---|
| Material in footings | 40 tonnes of steel and 800t of concrete.
|
|---|
| Turbines
|
|---|
| Turbine type | Enercon E70
|
|---|
| Gearing | No gearbox, direct drive, see below
|
|---|
| Tower height, to hub | 85m
|
|---|
| Total height to blade tip | 120m
|
|---|
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Mount Millar
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
I sent an inquiry to Meridian on 2010/10/10, received a reply on
2010/10/29, but no mention of whether Meridian provides money for a
community fund for the Mount Millar community.
The Mount Millar Wind Farm is different to other SA wind farms in that
the turbines do not have gear boxes; this, presumably, is why the nacelle
of these turbines has a larger diameter than most.
A quote from the manufacturer, Enercon...
"The annular generator is of primary importance in the gearless system
design of ENERCON wind turbines. Combined with the rotor hub it provides
an almost frictionless flow of energy, while the gentle running of fewer
moving components guarantees minimal material wear. Unlike conventional
asynchronous generators, the ENERCON annular generator is subjected to
minimal mechanical wear, which makes it ideal for particularly heavy
demands and a long service life.
The ENERCON annular generator is a low-speed synchronous generator with
no direct grid coupling. The output voltage and frequency vary with the
speed and are converted for output to the grid by a DC link and inverter.
This achieves a high degree of speed variability."
|
Also called Lincoln Gap Wind Farm
|
|
News 2013/05/09
Clean Technica reported that Denham Capital Management had invested in several
Australian wind farms, including this one.
|
|
As of September 2009 this project seems to be in the hands of
Infigen Energy who mentioned it in
a pdf file, 'Australian development pipeline' (no longer available).
This file gave the project status as "Initial DA [development application?]
received".
As of 2013/05/10 there seem to be no Net pages dedicated to this project.
Summary data
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Approved | 95? | ? | 250? | Unknown
| S 32.62° | E 137.57°
|
|
|
|
|
This section written 2010/01/14
|
|
(Wind farm name uncertain)
|
This proposed wind farm is interesting for it's large size and the fact that
the proposal came from a group of 30 farmers who recognised the potential on
their land.
Michael McCourt, of Beachport, is heading the project on behalf of the
farmers.
The agreement by Macquarie Capital Group Ltd. to take "responsibility for
all of the ongoing development activities for the proposed wind farm"
(reported in Border Watch, 2009/12/22) is very significant because it
indicates that financial backing has been obtained; always a hugely
important mile-stone for any wind farm development.
Summary data for Robe Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Completion due | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | ? | ? | 600 | Undecided
| Approx. S 37.11° | E 139.80°
|
The wind farm is to be built on the Woakwine Range between Beachport and
Mount Benson.
Beachport is 78 km NW of Mount Gambier, Mount Benson is about
60 km NNW of Beachport.
I suspect that substantial upgrading of the power transmission system
will be needed before the project can proceed.
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Completion due | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | 30 to 35 | 3? | 90 to 105? | Undecided
| Approx. 33.99° | 139.10°
|
|
|
| Robertstown, Stony Gap, and Waterloo Wind Farm locations
|
| |
Image from Roaring 40s
| |
Robertstown is 50 km
ESE of Clare, 21 km north of
Eudunda, and 110 km NNE of Adelaide; the wind farm is about 6 km
west of the Robertstown township.
The proponent was originally Tasmania-based Roaring 40s, but when this was
disbanded it was transferred to Energy Australia.
It was earlier reported that this and
Stony Gap Wind Farm were to be extensions
of Waterloo Wind Farm, but in fact
Energy Australia are treating all three as separate projects.
In early 2012 Energy Australia, under its older name, TRUenergy, released a
locally conducted opinion survey
concerning its existing and proposed Mid-North wind farms.
More detail under
links.
Community Liaison Group
Energy Australia have established a Community Liaison Group concerning its
three Mid-North wind farms.
The group meets every
second month and brings together many interested local people
with TRUenergy staff and experts in various fields relevant to wind power.
(I, David Clarke, the author of these pages, am a member of the group.)
|
This wind farm is on the top of the north-south trending Barunga Range west
and north-west of Snowtown and about 150 km north of Adelaide.
The closest turbines are around seven kilometres from the town.
For directions to Snowtown go to
ExplorOz.
So far as I know, there has never been any local opposition to this project,
and as mentioned below, the people of Snowtown and district seem very happy
with their local wind farm.
(I live fifty kilometres away.)
A company named Wind Prospect
originally proposed up to 105 wind turbines each of 2 MW.
When the first stage was built there were 47 turbines, a prototype
S95 was added in July 2011; a major extension is under construction; see
Snowtown Stage 2.
|
Snowtown Stage 1 summary data
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW |
First power
to grid | Completed | Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 48
| 2.1 | 100.8 | March 2008 | Early September 2008
| 41% | S 33.75° | E 138.13°
|
| The S95 turbine added in July 2011 increased
the installed capacity from 98.7 MW.
|
|
The capacity factor was calculated from AEMO data from July 2009 to
December 2012 inclusive, is the best I have calculated for any Australian
wind farm (as of December 2012) and is very good by world standards.
It takes into account the 48th turbine added in July 2011.
(The average capacity factor for south-eastern Australian wind farms is about 35%.)
|
|
The first turbine of the Snowtown Wind Farm
2007/12/28
|
Additional data on Snowtown Wind Farm
| Owner | Trust Power Ltd.
|
|---|
| Operator | Suzlon
|
|---|
| Project cost | Aust$220 million
|
|---|
| Expected output | 350 GWh/yr
|
|---|
| Greenhouse gas savings | 345 000t/yr
|
|---|
| Turbine type | 47 Suzlon S88-2.1 MW
1 Suzlon S95-2.1 MW
|
|---|
| Tower height (to hub) | 80m
|
|---|
| Height to blade tip | 124m
|
|---|
| Rotational speed | 15 to 17.6RPM
|
|---|
| Rotor diameter | 88m
|
|---|
| Speed at blade tip | 69 to 81m/sec. or 249 to 292 km/hr
|
|---|
|
|
|
Fog streaming between turbines at Snowtown Wind Farm
2008/05/05
|
|
While TrustPower own this wind farm, the Indian based company Suzlon built
it, operate it and maintain the turbines.
The contract calls for a minimum availability of 97%; that is, as I
understand it, total turbine/hours of downtime must be no more than
3% of the total turbine/hours in a year.
The wind farm started feeding power into the grid in December 2007 and was
officially opened on 2nd November 2008.
In the Australian Electricity Generation Report of 2008, available from
Australian Policy Online, this
wind farm is listed as the eleventh largest renewable energy power station
in mainland eastern Australia,
and the fifth largest wind farm, by generation for 2008, generating
195 MWh.
Some of my photos of Snowtown Wind Farm are on
another page.
Snowtown Wind Farm had air navigation lights on about 40% of its turbines
from the time it was built.
The lights are finally to be turned off progressively through
August and September, 2011 (according to an article in the Yorke Peninsula
Country Times, 2011/08/09).
I noticed on 2012/03/01 that they were no longer on.
|
|
| Suzlon S95 prototype turbine under construction
|
|---|
| |
The photo on the right was taken on 2011/06/28 of the construction of the
Suzlon S95 prototype turbine.
It was operating a month or so later.
Trust Power are not generouse with community funding, providing
$15 000 per year or $313 per turbine per year (less than any other
wind farm I know of other than Canunda in SE SA).
Phil Barry, CEO of Wakefield Regional Council informed me that
Trust Power was the majority funder of the wind farm tourist information
display at Snowtown and that the total project value was about
$120 000.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Snowtown
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
The output of Snowtown Wind Farm is expected to decline by 19GWh/year (4.9%)
following construction of
Snowtown 2 due to wind shading.
Powering TREV around the world
The developers of
TREV (Two-seat Renewable Energy
Vehicle) bought power from the Snowtown
Wind Farm to power TREV on a 'Race around the World'.
TREV was expected to use 2.1 MWh of electricity in total; that is one
hour's generation from one of the Snowtown turbines at full power.
The Snowtown people are proud of their wind farm
|
|
| Sign on the highway at Snowtown
|
|---|
| |
The people of Snowtown, so far as I know, have always been very supportive
of their wind farm.
And they have good reason to be.
Snowtown is a small town, it is home to about 400 people, but it is doing
far more than its share in the fight against out-of-control climate change.
Snowtown Wind Farm is abating around 345 000 tonnes of greenhouse
carbon dioxide each year.
The Garnaut report showed that Australia's CO2 emissions were 28 tonnes per
person in 2006, so the Snowtown wind farm is abating the emissions from
around twelve thousand Australians!
A praise-worthy achievement for a small town.
|
As of October 2012 roads and hardstands were being constructed in the
southern section; there was a sod-turning ceremony on 2012/10/25.
At the same time the estimated cost of the project was $439m.
Combined with Snowtown Stage 1, this
wind farm will save 700 000 tonnes of greenhouse CO2 per year.
|
Snowtown Stage 2 summary data
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction starting | Commissioning
|
|---|
| Under construction | 90 | 3 | 270 | August 2012 | End of 2014
|
|
|
When Snowtown Stage 2 is built the total installed power of the Snowtown
wind farms will be 371 MW, making it the biggest in SA, at least until
Hallett #3 is built.
|
|
On 2012/08/01 it was announced that Siemens had been awarded the contract to
engineer and build supply infrastructure for the project.
| Development callendar for Snowtown 2
|
|---|
| | Acknowledgement Trust Power
|
The Siemens turbines will be direct drive (no gearbox) with a perminant
magnet generator, 10 turbines will have a
rotor diameter of 101m and the
remaining 80 will have a rotor of 108m diameter (bigger than any in
previously built in SA).
The turbines with the smaller rotors are to go into the areas with stronger
or more turbulent winds.
Clayton Delmarter of Trust Power informed me on 2012/08/06 that
"we didn't have a single submission against the project when we submitted our
planning variations and have enjoyed great support from the community".
At the sod-turning ceremony, 2012/10/25, Mayor of Wakefield Plains Council,
James Maitland,
said that he "was not aware of any negativity" regarding the project.
This contrasts strongly with strong local opposition to several other
wind farms in Mid North SA.
TrustPower has a
Net page
for Snowtown Stage 2.
Weekly progress reports are given; that of 2013/05/11 stated that 60
foundations had been poured.
Trust Power ran a media release 2012/05/02 that said, among other
things:
"TrustPower has entered into a power sale and purchase agreement for the
output of Snowtown II with Origin Energy, which already has a purchase
agreement for 89% of the Snowtown 1 facility.
The Snowtown II Wind Farm, as the expansion will be known, will be located
adjacent to the existing Snowtown 1 facility and comprise 90 turbines with
an installed capacity of 270MW.
The 3MW turbines for the expansion will be supplied by Siemens.
It is intended that Snowtown Stage 2 will be split into two separately
metered wind farms, 144MW which will be owned by TrustPower and 126MW by a
co-investor.
TrustPower will be the operator for the total Snowtown wind farm site under
a long term management services arrangement.
TrustPower is currently running a targeted selection process to identify a
co-investor and hopes to make an announcement within the next few months."
The new turbines will mainly go into three areas:
- Most will be on the highest ridges and spurs to the east of
the present turbines;
- Around 35 will be south of the southernmost of the present turbines;
- About ten will fill in the gap between the two present groups.
So, when built, it will not be possible for the casual observer to see
where Stage 1 finishes and Stage 2 starts.
Findata, 2012/07/26, printed a release by Vince Hawksworth of Trust Power:
Snowtown 2 "will consist of two separately
metered wind farms, Snowtown 2 North (144MW) and Snowtown 2 South (126 MW),
sharing a single transmission line owned by TrustPower".
| Expected output of Snowtown 2
|
|---|
| GWh/year | Cap. Factor
|
|---|
| Snowtown 2 North | 504 | 40.0%
|
|---|
| Snowtown 2 South | 481 | 43.6%
|
|---|
| Total Snowtown 2 | 985 | 41.7%
|
|---|
The Findata article went on to state:
"The construction of Snowtown 2 North is expected to reduce the long term
annual expected output of the existing 100MW Snowtown Stage 1 wind farm by
around 19 GWh (4.9%) due to wind shading caused by the new turbines to be
built on the Snowtown 2 North site. Consequently, Snowtown Stage 1 wind
farm's forecast long term capacity will reduce to around 41.9% from 44.1%."
(My figure for the capacity factor for
Snowtown 1 is 41%.)
Snowtown 1 plus Snowtown 2 will have a combined installed capacity of
370.8MW, making it the second biggest in Australia, following
Macarthur at 420 (due for
completion in early 2013).
The Hallett group (operating)
is close behind at 351MW.
The cost of wind
power with particular reference to Snowtown Stages 1 and 2 is discussed
under cost of wind power.
For email to Trust Power try jim.pearson@trustpower.co.nz,
clayton.delmarter@trustpower.co.nz or rodney.ahern@trustpower.co.nz.
Trust Power are not generouse with community funding, intending to provide
$45 000 per year in total for the two stages of Snowtown.
This works out at $326 per turbine per year (less than any other
wind farm I know of other than Canunda in SE SA).
|
This was owned by Transfield Infrastructure Fund, but all their
wind farms were taken over by Ratch Australia Corporation.
|
|
Some of the Starfish Hill turbines viewed from Cape Jervis
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Commissioned
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 23 | 1.5 | 34.5 | September 2003
| 27% | S 35.57° | E 138.16°
|
The capacity factor figure above was taken from
AEMO data for June 2008 to December 2012 inclusive.
|
|
Wind turbines silhouetted against the sea at Starfish Hill, Fleurieu Peninsula
|
This was the first wind farm in South Australia.
It is located across two hills south of Rapid Bay,
Starfish Hill and Salt Creek Hill, with 8
turbines on Starfish Hill and 15 on Salt Creek Hill.
For directions to Starfish Hill go to
ExplorOz.
Further data on Starfish Hill Wind Farm
| Project cost | Aust$65 million
|
|---|
| Annual production | Approx. 100 GWh
|
|---|
| Turbine make | Neg Micon (now Vestas)
|
|---|
| Height to turbine hub | 68m
|
|---|
| Height to blade tip | 100m
|
|---|
| Rotor diameter | 64m
|
|---|
An interesting feature of this wind farm is that the tips of the turbine
blades can be rotated independently of the remainder of the blade.
This can be used to stop the turbines when needed.
Also on this Net site: Starfish Hill photos,
notes on visiting.
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Starfish Hill
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
Observations
When I visited on 2007/03/14 two turbines on Starfish Hill were out
of action; all others were operational.
I noticed in late January 2009 that three turbines, again on Starfish Hill,
were not working; all the others were.
This wind farm seems to have serious problems.
Some of the turbines made a strange sound when rotating slowly.
After a time I concluded that the turbine blades must be hollow and partly
filled with water which cascaded backward and forward as the turbines
rotated. When they rotated at full speed the centrifugal force must have
been sufficient to keep the water at the far end of the blades and stop
the cascading.
I have since been informed that it is unlikely that there could be water
in the blades, but have heard no other explanation for the strange sound.
|
|
| The fire of 2010/10/30
Image credit Fleurieu Multimedia
|
|
Fire in turbine
There was a fire in one of the Starfish Hill turbines on the afternoon of
2010/10/30.
This was written up in an article in the
Victor Harbor Times on
2010/11/04.
The fire caused an estimated $3m damages.
I am informed that the Neg Micon turbines did not have transformers in the
Nacelle, unlike Vestas models, so there would be fewer likely causes of
a fire.
|
Wind turbines at Starfish Hill, Cape Jervis, South Australia
This was the first South Australian wind farm.
|
|
Stony Gap is about 28 km east of Clare, 13 km east of Farrell Flat,
and 126 km NNE of Adelaide.
A location map is in the notes on the
Robertstown Wind Farm.
Energy Australia has a Net page on the project.
Summary data from Stony Gap Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW
| Construction | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Development application lodged | 41 | 3? | Up to 123
| First half of 2013?
| 33.81° | 138.93°
|
|
|
Development Assessment Panel refuses permission
On 2012/08/01 a DAP refused permission for the project on the grounds of
health related to noise – in spite there being no scientifically valid
evidence for
damage to health from wind turbines,
there being no evidence that wind turbines produce unreasonable levels of
noise and the fact
that wind power saves lives and
reduces the numbers of serious illnesses caused by air pollution from
coal fired power stations.
The decision was popular with the audience at the hearing, but went against
utilitarian (the greatest good for the
greatest number) and probably any other ethical principles.
Further developments
On 2013/04/18 the Council CEO John Brak was reported as saying Council had
"negotiated an emended application with the company".
There were still two outstanding appeals "against the development, with a
court hearing scheduled for next month".
|
|
The project was started by Roaring 40s who held a community information
session on this wind farm at the Burra Town hall on 2009/12/03.
Since then, Roaring 40s was broken up and the Stony Gap WF project was taken
over by TRUenergy.
In early 2012 TRUenergy released a locally conducted opinion survey
concerning its existing and proposed Mid-North wind farms.
More detail under
links.
This wind farm and the nearby Waterloo Wind Farm seem to have raised a more
organised than usual opposition.
Community Liaison Group
TRUenergy have established a Community Liaison Group concerning its three
Mid-North wind farms.
The group meets every
second month and brings together many interested local people
with TRUenergy staff and experts in various fields relevant to wind power.
(I, David Clarke, the author of these pages, am a member of the group.)
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Proposed | 36 | 1.65 | 59.4 | Undecided
| Approx. S 34.71° | E 137.88°
|
This project was proposed by Pacific Hydro and was to be at
Sheoak Flat between Port Julia and Port Vincent on Yorke Peninsula.
The company obtained planning permission for the wind farm.
On May 19th 2010 several newspapers reported that Pacific Hydro had
decided to allow planning consent to lapse.
Quoting from the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 2008/04/15, "Currently the
132kv [power transmission] line serving Yorke Peninsula is at capacity
and, until the capacity constraints are resolved and the electricity
transmission infrastructure upgraded, this project and others like it are
likely to remain on hold."
Note that this same problem has stopped the development of Wattle Point
Stage 2 wind farm.
The SA Government talks big on sustainable energy, but does much less.
Further information on Vincent North Wind Farm...
| The project
|
|---|
| Output GWh/year | Greater than 140
|
|---|
| Greenhouse gas saving | Estimated 145 000t/yr
|
|---|
| Project cost | Aus$100 million
|
|---|
The information in this table came from
Pacific Hydro.
|
|
|
| |
Temporary construction buildings at Waterloo Wind Farm; beginning of
electrical control yard on left. 2010/02/12
|
|
|
|
|
The ridge before the turbines were erected
Photo taken 2008/01/17
|
|
Some (the first?) power from the Waterloo turbines was fed into the grid
on 2010/08/23 at 1100 hours.
By 2010/10/03 all the turbines were generating.
Waterloo Wind Farm was accepted by the EPA as fully compliant on 2011/11/22.
The township of Waterloo is 39 km south-east of Clare, 20 km
ENE of Auburn and 110 km
NNE of Adelaide.
Waterloo Wind Farm is one of the
biggest in Australia in
terms of installed capacity.
A location map is in the notes on the
Robertstown Wind Farm.
Waterloo was constructed by Tasmania-based Roaring 40s at a cost in excess of
$300m.
In April 2011 it was passed to TRUenergy, who later changed their name to
Energy Australia.
On 2013/05/14 Peter Hannam in the Sydney Morning Herald reported that EA
has passed three-quarters of its holding "to infrastructure investment
specialists, Palisade Investment Partners and Northleaf Capital Partners.
The company will continue to buy power from the project and manage its
operations after the sale".
The wind farm uses Vestas Wind Systems V90-3.0 MW turbines.
(The V90 is an abbreviation: V for Vestas and the 90 indicates a 90m
diameter for the swept circle of
the turbine blades.)
On 2010/08/19 Dijana Jevremov of Roaring 40s informed me that the closest
turbine to a residence at Waterloo Wind Farm is "at or near to 2 km away".
Energy Australia are working toward a second stage that
will add six turbines (18 MW additional installed capacity) at
the southern end of the existing farm, from Steelton Road.
Waterloo (Stage 1) summary data
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Capacity factor
| Completion due | Lat | Long
|
|---|
| Operating | 37 | 3 | 111 | 32% | Late Oct. 2010?
| Approx. 33.98° | 138.92°
|
|
The capacity factor was calculated from AEMO data for October 2010
to December 2012 inclusive.
|
|
|
| |
Photo taken 2010/06/24
The 690-tonne crane is in place to add the top sections to the part-tower.
As can be seen, there are quite a few native trees on this ridge, it is
a pity that a number had to be
removed.
Roaring 40s have an off-set arrangement with the Native Vegetation Council
in which $800 000 will be paid toward revegetation and conservation
programs.
They are also using sterile rye grass and seven local native grass species to
cover areas disturbed during construction.
|
|
Further data on Waterloo Wind Farm
| Turbines
|
|---|
| Turbine type | Vestas V90 3 MW
|
| Tower height | 80m
|
| Blade length | 44m
|
| Weight of each blade | 6.7t
|
| Tower weight | 145t
|
| Nacelle weight | 70t
|
| Hub and nose cone weight | 22t
|
| Foundations
|
|---|
| Concrete used | 360 cubic m each
|
| Steel reo used | 30t each
|
| Total weight | 910t each
|
| Cables
|
|---|
| Buried aluminium | 28 km
|
| Buried optical fibre | 28 km
|
|
|
| | Waterloo turbines; colours altered digitally
|
|
Roaring 40s erected a wind monitoring tower in 2002 to investigate the
wind potential of the site.
The turbines are along the top of a well defined sharp ridge
running parallel to, and four kilometres west of, Tothill Range.
The point specified by latitude and longitude in the table above is in
the approximate centre of the
wind farm and is about 3.5 km east of Waterloo.
Waterloo is about 30 km SE of Clare.
An interesting point about this wind farm is that the turbines are
43% bigger than most of those previously constructed in northern South
Australia; ie. 3 MW rather than 2.1 MW.
(3 MW turbines have also been used at
Lake Bonney Stage 3 Wind Farm.)
On the grape vine: The quartzite rock on the ridge is so hard that it has to
be blasted before footings can be built.
However, it is generally too fractured for rock anchors to be used, so the
footings are of the heavy gravity type.
Energy Australia are working toward two other wind farms in the area,
Stony Gap and
Robertstown.
In early 2012 Energy Australia released a locally conducted opinion survey
concerning its existing and proposed Mid-North wind farms.
More detail under
links.
Community Liaison Group
TRUenergy have established a Community Liaison Group concerning its three
Mid-North wind farms.
The group meets every two or three months and brings together a number of
interested local people with Energy Australia staff and experts in various
fields relevant to wind power.
(I, David Clarke, the author of these pages, am a member of the group.)
|
|
| Generation record
|
|---|
| | Up to end 2012
| |
Roaring 40s had not settled on a specific level of community funding as
of September 2010.
The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Waterloo
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
The SA EPA found the Waterloo Wind Farm to be compliant with state wind farm
permissible noise levels in late 2011.
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A wind farm opponent, Michael Cobb, wrote a litterally incredible piece about
Waterloo Wind Farm in the Blayney Chronicle on 2012/11/01.
He claimed he was unable to talk to wind farm hosts because of 'gag clauses';
this is quite false – I have talked quite freely to a Waterloo turbine
host a number of times.
Ketan Joshi wrote a reply to Cobb's piece on 2012/11/25.
| |
A Michael Cobb has been found guilty of fraud and fined $14 000; more
on this in Joshi's piece, above.
I cannot be sure that it is this Michael Cobb, but it seems likely.
It is relevant and fair to mention it here because it bares on Mr Cobb's
honesty and credibility.
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There seems to have been a more emotional reaction to the Waterloo Wind Farm
than to most others, but perhaps it is simply that the opposition in this
area is more organised and vocal than elsewhere.
I believe that most of the activity is coming from a small group of six or
so people.
(There have only been five formal complaints sent to Energy Australia about
the wind farm.)
The email below was sent by one of the opponents of the Waterloo Wind farm
and seems to be encouraging people to lie about loss of
sleep and illnesses caused by Waterloo Wind Farm.
(I originally did not give the name of the sender, but when it was published
in Adelaide Now I saw no reason to not include it here.)
Invitation to lie?
"From: Mary Morris
Sent: Wednesday, 5 September 2012 12:44 PM
Subject: URGENT AND IMPORTANT - SEND NOISE /HEALTH COMPLAINTS TO CLARE AND
GOYDER COUNCIL
GOYDER COUNCIL SAYS IT HAS RECEIVED NO WRITTEN NOISE OR HEALTH COMPLAINTS
REGARDING THE WATERLOO WIND FARM.
They have the power to shut the wind farm down and get the noise nuisance
investigated.
LETS DO IT!!!
Please send in a written complaint to both the Goyder Council and Clare
Council
All it has to be is a simple letter stating that the noise and vibration is
causing a serious disturbance to sleep and rest, and/or that people are
becoming sick – mention elderly and frail people AND children as well
especially if this applies to you.
If you have already sent in a letter, send again with a cover note that you
wish your submission to be considered as a formal complaint about the effects
of the Waterloo wind farm.
Goyder council@goyder.sa.gov.au
Clare and Gilbert Valley admin@cgvc.sa.gov.au
Need help?? Let me know"
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Two surveys
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Zhenhua Wang's survey
Professor Mike Brooks, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of
Adelaide distanced the university from Mr Wang's work, saying that Mr Wang
did the work in his own time and not for the University.
I emailed Mr Wang (2012/03/01) asking for more information on his survey;
I did not receive a reply.
It is curious that Mr Wang's research seems to have been made
available to anti-wind people:
- WindWatch, a Net based
anti-wind power group;
- a member of the Mid North Wind Farm Liason Group who strongly opposes
local wind farms;
- and Graham
Lloyd of The Australian;
but not to me, nor any other pro-wind power people who I know of.
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A survey done by a masters candidate at Adelaide University, Zhenhua (Frank)
Wang, sought responses from 75 people who lived within five kilometres from
the wind farm.
Mr Wang reported a 64% response rate, that 70% of "respondents claimed they
had been negatively affected by the wind farm noise", that "35% of the
respondents had been 'moderately affected' and 19% claimed they had been
'very affected'".
It is interesting to contrast the results of Mr Wang's survey with another
survey carried out by Qdos Research and commissioned by Energy Australia
(then called TRUenergy).
The results of this community survey were released in March 2011.
It involved 358 people living near the Waterloo Wind Farm and the proposed
Stony Gap
and Robertstown wind farms.
The survey indicated that 66% of respondents were concerned about climate
change, 77% supported wind farms, 69% supported nearby wind farms, and
a majority saw wind farms as positives for: appearance, tourism,
local business, short term jobs, local economy and landholder income.
As Energy Australia own and operate the Yallourn coal-fired power station,
which is far larger in power generation than are their wind farms, there
seems no reason to believe that Energy Australia should be biased toward
renewable energy.
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| Prices of houses sold in the Waterloo area since 2000
|
|---|
| Data from
realestate.com.au
While these data have little, if any, statistical significance, note that
there is no indication of a fall in house prices.
Statistically valid data are available on
land values
near wind farms elsewhere on this site.
| |
Some research
Associate Professor Con Doolan of Adelaide University is doing some research
into sound and infrasound on the Waterloo Wind Farm (late 2012, early 2013),
this is discussed
elswhere on these pages.
It had been reported that Energy Australia refused to cooperate with
Professor Doolan in his research.
I have asked both parties about this, and to 2013/04/25 have received a
satisfactory response from neither.
The South Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
produced a report titled "Infrasound levels near windfarms and in other
environments" in January 2013.
While this research was not conducted at Waterloo, it is very relevant to
the allegations that have been made about this wind farm.
The EPA is to do research into infrasound at Waterloo during April and May
2013 in several vacant houses near Waterloo Wind Farm.
Some anti wind-power reporting
Graham Lloyd,
'Environment Editor' of The Australian wrote a particularly
ill-informed article on Waterloo
Wind Farm that was published on 2012/04/21.
Threats, abuse
I have received abusive emails from one Waterloo resident who accused me
of "lies and misleading the puplic (sic)" and from another who called me
a "death camp Natzi" (sic).
(As stated elsewhere on these pages, I am always pleased to have people point
out any errors that I have made, so long as they give convincing evidence
for their claims.
My email address is at the top of this page.)
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To get some personal experience I went to the Waterloo wind farm on the
evenings of 2012/02/09 and 2012/02/14 and set up my swag beneath one of the
turbines (a different section of the wind farm on each occasion).
The number of kangaroos on the ridge impressed me; I must have seen at least
eight, including a small joey.
I also saw a pair of wedge-tailed eagles circling near the turbines.
All were apparently in good health.
On both nights the wind varied from a moderate to a stiff breeze, so the
turbines were operating all night.
While I could plainly hear the turbines whenever I woke at night, I had no
problem at all in getting a good night's sleep.
Right at the foot of the turbine the sound of the turbine gear-box dominated
the sound of the blades as they passed through the air.
I noticed that when I moved away 100m or more all I could hear was the blades.
On both visits I stopped in Waterloo township to listen for the turbines in
the evening before going
to the wind farm and in the morning after leaving the wind farm.
With the possible exception of the first morning I could not hear them.
When there was a breeze in the nearby trees the sound from this would have
drowned-out any sound from the turbines.
In both mornings there was very little breeze in Waterloo while there was a
good breeze on the ridge.
On the first morning I thought I might just be able to hear the turbines,
but could not be sure; birds were making far more noise than the turbines.
I have written more about my personal experiences sleeping at or near wind
farms elsewhere.
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| Wattle Point Wind Farm location
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Wattle Point Wind Farm can be seen in the lower section of
this Google-Earth image.
Each dot at the end of a little road is a turbine.
The information station is on the road running due south into the farm.
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A 55-turbine wind farm at Wattle Point near Edithburgh on Yorke Peninsula.
Edithburgh is 80 km
WSW of Adelaide
as the crow flies, but about 230 km by road around the
northern end of St. Vincent Gulf.
For directions to Wattle Point go to
ExplorOz.
The wind farm started operating in the first half of 2005.
Alinta sold this wind farm to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ANZ,
Energy Infrastructure Trust, in April 2007 for Aus$225m.
It is run by AGL.
The Google-Earth image at the right shows the locations of individual
turbines and a number of the access roads.
Wattle Point is unusual in being (as of late 2009 at least) the only large
Australian wind farm laid out in a grid-pattern on level ground.
It would be interesting to know how much wind-shadowing there is due to
this lay-out.
In the Australian Electricity Generation Report of 2008, available from
Australian Policy Online, this
wind farm is listed as the eighth largest renewable energy power station
in mainland eastern Australia,
and the third largest wind farm, by generation for 2008, generating
248 MWh.
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| Sunset at Wattle Point Wind Farm
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Summary data, Wattle Point Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW each | Total MW | Completed
| Capacity factor | Lat | Long
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|---|
| Operating | 55 | 1.65 | 91 | May 2005
| 33% | S 35.10° | E 137.72°
|
The capacity factor was taken from AEMO data, via the ALG Net pages,
and is from data from June 2008 to December 2012 inclusive.
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Old and new windmills at Wattle Point
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Additional data on Wattle Point Wind Farm
| Type of turbine | Vestas V82
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|---|
| Total area of wind farm | 11.5 square kilometres
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| Tower height | 67m
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| Blade length | 40m
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| Height to blade tip | 110m
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| Expected life | 25 years
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| Expected annual generation | 312 GWh
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312 GWh/annum was roughly 2% of South Australia's electricity at the
time Wattle Point was built.
The above data were from
Research
Institute for Sustainable Energy, (RISE).
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| Generation record
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| | Up to end 2012
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The graph on the right shows the power generation record for Wattle Point
Wind Farm as recorded by AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) and
downloaded via the ALG (Australian Landscape Guardians) Net site.
The units are average megawatts generated month by month.
I noticed on a visit in late September 2010 that there were no lights on
any of the turbines.
It appears that there is no community fund associated with Wattle Point
Wind Farm.
In September 2010 I took sound level readings among the turbines in a light
breeze.
The highest reading was 47dB(A) and I noted at the time that a car travelling
at an estimated 60 km/hr 400m away was making more noise.
More photos are at
my Wattle Point photos page;
also see my notes on
Visiting Wattle Point Wind Farm.
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Alternatively known as Troubridge Point Wind Farm
This was proposed to be a 25 MW wind farm near the present Wattle Point
farm.
At least to October 2008 it has not been built.
The hold up seems to be the lack of capacity in the transmission lines.
Following an inquiry I sent to the District Council of Yorke Peninsula
I received the following by email...
Please be advised that Council have approved of a second wind farm near
Wattle Point a couple of years ago, however, the development has not
proceeded due to the fact that there is insufficient capacity in the
transmission lines to accommodate additional power loadings.
Until such time that there is an extensive up grade to the existing
transmission lines, which would cost the state government millions of
dollars, the development will not occur.
I trust that this information answers you enquiry.
Regards,
ROGER S BROOKS
ACTING DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY SERVICES
District Council of Yorke Peninsula
roger.brooks@yorke.sa.gov.au
www.yorke.sa.gov.au
More recently (October 2008) I have had confirmation from another source
(I will not give the name) that the reason this farm was not built was
a lack of support by the State Government.
So it seems yet again that a wind farm development that could happen is
not going to happen because of lack of the needed government support, in
this case, state government
support.
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This project is proposed by
Infigen Energy who own the
nearby Lake Bonney Wind Farm.
Infigen Investor Relations sent me links to two MP3 files, on 2010/12/15,
of interviews with Frank Boland, Infigen Project Manager, who was speaking
about the Woakwine Wind Farm.
Together with the wind farm size data and probable construction date
given in the summary table below, he said that the cost of the project
was expected to be greater than $800m.
He said that the northern section would comprise 49 turbines and go from
Cape Jaffa to Mount Benson, the largest, southern, section would go from
Mount Hope to Lake Bonney (98 turbines), and there would be another six
turbines near Robe.
He also said that the closest turbines to houses of people without a
financial connection to the wind farm would be 600 to 700m away.
Infigen seem to have little information about the project on their Net pages
as of 2011/12/10.
Summary data, Woakwine Range Wind Farm
| Status | No. of turbines | MW | Total MW | Construction date
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|---|
| Approved | 153 | 3? | 450 to 540 | Unknown
|
The last council to give approval was Wattle Range, who approved
the project on 2012/06/07
Approximate locations of the sections of Woakwine Range Wind
Farm
| Section | Latitude | Longitude
|
|---|
| Northern | S 37.01° | E 139.76°
| | Robe | S 37.18° | E 139.75°
| | Southern | S 37.56° | E 140.23°
|
Infigen had a pdf file on its 'Australian development pipeline' (no longer
available) that mentioned the project.
The power transmission network in the region is already
strugling to handle the load from the existing wind farms; it will need
substantial development before this project can be brought online.
|
| Status | No. of turbines | MW | Total MW | Construction date
| Lat. | Long.
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|---|
| Proposed | 90? | 2? | 180 | Undecided
| S 33.83° | E 139.05°
|
The Burra
Broadcaster published a front page article on 18th
August, 2004 stating that a company named Wind Developments Australia
Pty. Ltd. were planning to build an 80 to 90 turbine wind farm at
World's End (about 15 km South of Burra); each turbine being 2 MW.
The newspaper also stated that
construction was expected to take about eight months and the
Company hoped to start construction by the end of 2004.
This seems to me one of the least likely of the Mid-North SA wind farms
to be built.
There is no evidence that I know of for any action at all on the project,
and I have been told by someone in a position to know that the turbine
sites are inappropriate for efficient operation.
Allco Financial
Services listed this as one of their projects.
Allco, in severe financial difficulties, called in administrators in
November 2008.
|
In addition to those detailed above many others wind farms are proposed
(table below).
For every wind farm built, five have been proposed.
The projects on this list are either highly speculative or in their very
early days.
Information concerning these would be appreciated, my email
address is at the top of this page.
If and when any of these proposed wind farms look likely to be built I
will write them up in more detail.
Until some significant money is spent on investigation a proposed wind
farm may be little more than wishful thinking and is not worth covering
in more detail than that below.
|
As of November 2010 I have visited, or attempted to visit, 13 of the 14
operating South Australian wind farms.
The best readily available map that shows all the minor roads is probably
RAA's Clare Valley regional road map.
Below are some notes on local accommodation,
accessibility, photographing possibilities, etc.
They are listed in alphabetical order.
Lake Bonney has been listed
with Canunda because these two, independently owned and operated, wind
farms are contiguous and it is not easy to see where one finishes and the
other starts.
Similarly the AGL wind farms in the Hallett area have been grouped together.
All wind farm turbines in SA are on private land. While you can often
get quite close to some turbines via public roads, there will be others
that cannot be approached except by crossing private land.
In my experience most farmers are very reasonable and will not object if
you walk onto a property a short distance from
a boundary fence, leave gates as you find them, are considerate of livestock,
and do not go near sheds or homesteads without asking permission.
I suggest not driving onto private land without permission.
Most land-owners
would prefer you to ask permission before entering on their land at
all, but it is very often difficult to know who owns what land and where
he/she lives. If you meet anyone, politely explain what you are doing.
I would appreciate information that would allow me to improve this section,
for example, further information on local accommodation options.
Visiting Canunda and
Lake Bonney,
wind farms, Millicent
Location
South and west of Millicent in the South East of South Australia
Accommodation
Millicent is the closest large town. It has varied accommodation including
one or more hotel, motel and a good caravan park with cabins.
Dogs are permitted in the caravan park.
Accessibility
Good, mainly unsealed, roads pass around and through the two wind farms.
Photography notes
This is one of the most photogenic of SA's wind farms. The many vantage
points afforded by the several roads around the wind farms give lots of
opportunities. The turbines are on a low ridge and there are views over the
nearby Lake Bonney in places.
The turbines are on private land.
Most Australian farmers do not mind people walking on their land, but of
course you can always be unlucky and meet one miserable one.
Some of my photos are on a photo page.
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Visiting Cathedral Rocks
Wind Farm, Port Lincoln
Location
On the south coast of Eyre Peninsula, about 20 km south of Port Lincoln
Accommodation
Port Lincoln is one of South Australia's largest provincial cities, is a
tourist destination, and has plentiful and varied accommodation, including
hotels, motels, home-stays, b&bs, and camping grounds.
Accessibility
You cannot get closer than 10 km or so to Cathedral Rocks without
crossing private land.
Photography notes
The lack of accessibility makes Cathedral Rocks the least photographable
wind farm of all those in SA. The turbines can just be seen from the top
of Winter's Hill, Port Lincoln, but you would need a good telephoto lens
to get a mediocre photo.
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Location
On a range of hills NW of Red Hill and South of Crystal Brook,
180 km north of Adelaide on the Port Augusta road
Accommodation
Hotels at Red Hill and Crystal Brook, caravan park at Crystal Brook
Accessibility
The Princes Highway passes by about 5 km East of the turbines.
An unsealed road runs North-South roughly parallel to the turbines and
passes within 100m of one turbine.
Several roads, one of them sealed (the Crystal Brook–Port Broughton
road, go over the range between the turbines.
Photography notes
The best views from public roads are to be obtained from the southern end
of the farm.
|
Location
The Hallett wind farms are on several mainly north/south trending ridges
about between Jamestown and Burra.
Accommodation
Possibly a hotel at Hallett.
There is a caravan and camping park as well as hotel, a motor inn, and
numerous cottages in Burra.
Mount Bryan has a hotel that provides accommodation, about 20 km
south of Hallett.
There are hotel/motels and at least one caravan park at
Jamestown, which is about 20 km north-west of the wind farm site.
Accessibility
Most people coming from the South will approach the wind farms via Burra.
Apart from the Hallett to Jamestown road, only unsealed roads go close to
the turbines.
Several unsealed roads cross the ridge on which the Brown Hill Range and
North Brown Hill wind farms are built.
Photography notes
The best views available from public roads would be from the unsealed roads
that cross the ridges.
Some of my photos are on a photo page.
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Visiting Mount Millar
Wind Farm, Cowell-Cleve
Location
In the hills between Cowell and Cleve on northern Eyre Peninsula
Accommodation
Caravan parks at Cowell, motels at Cowell and Cleve.
Accessibility
Sealed road part way from either Cleve or Cowell, then unsealed roads.
Roughly equal distances from either of these towns (25-30 km).
Photography notes
There is only one road well placed for photographing; it runs most of the
length of the wind farm and is very close to some of the turbines.
The turbines are on the top of one of the highest ridges
in the area, the land is mostly cleared but there is some scrub.
There is a viewing area very close to the base of one turbine.
Some of my photos are on a photo page.
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Visiting Snowtown Wind Farm
Location
On the range of hills west of Lochiel and Snowtown about 130 km north of
Adelaide on the Port Augusta road
Accommodation
Motel at Lochiel. Hotel and caravan park at Snowtown.
Accessibility
Snowtown is on the Princes Highway.
Several unsealed roads cross the Barunga Range near the Snowtown turbines.
There is no dedicated viewing area, nor are any turbines within less than
a few hundred metres of a public road.
Photography notes
There are few good vantage points on public roads, largely because the roads
cross the range through the lower altitude gaps.
However, some interesting views are possible,
especially given interesting weather conditions.
Some of my photos are on a photo page.
There is a turbine blade on display in Snowtown; worth a look.
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Some of the Starfish Hill turbines with a sea mist
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Starfish Hill turbines – these on Salt Creek
Hill – silhouetted against
Saint Vincent Gulf
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Location
At the south-western end of Fleurieu Peninsula, between Cape Jervis and
Second Valley
Accommodation
Caravan park at Second Valley (allows dogs), cabins at Sunset Cove Resort,
holiday units at Cape Jervis.
Accessibility
Sealed road then unsealed roads from Cape Jervis and Second Valley.
There is a viewing area very close to the base of one turbine.
The turbines are on two ridges – the higher is Starfish Hill, the
lower is Salt Creek Hill – overlooking Saint Vincent Gulf.
The two hills are accessed from separate unsealed roads running off the main
(sealed) Cape Jervis road.
Photography notes
There are 8 turbines on Starfish hill and 15 on Salt Creek Hill.
Of the two, Starfish hill provides the better photographic opportunities
from near the roads.
Trees can provide a useful foreground on Salt Creek Hill.
The Salt Creek turbines can be silhouetted against the sea if you photograph
from Starfish Hill.
Sea-mists can give a useful atmosphere.
Some of my photos of Starfish Hill Wind Farm are
here.
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Visiting Waterloo Wind Farm
Location
On a north-south trending range of hills about 40 km south-east of
Clare and 110 km north of Adelaide near the Broken Hill road (Highway 32).
To get to Waterloo village, turn east at Manoora.
Accommodation
There is a big choice of accommodation in the touristy Clare Valley wine
region and some of the towns near Waterloo have hotels.
Accessibility
Minor roads cross the range in several places.
As of October 2010 I have not explored all the possibilities of photography
at Waterloo.
Contact Dijana Jevremov of Roaring 40s (dijana.jevremov@roaring40s.com)
to arrange a visit to the wind farm.
Photography notes
There should be good opportunities of getting well composed photos from, or
near, the roads that cross the ridge using some of the
scattered remnant vegetation in the foreground.
|
Location
A few kilometres south-west of Edithburgh on the southern extremity of
Yorke Peninsula
Accommodation
Hotels and caravan parks with cabins at Edithburgh, Yorketown and Coobowie.
A motel at Edithburgh.
Accessibility
Sealed road to Edithburgh and Yorketown, then several unsealed roads
pass through the wind farm, which is on flat ground.
Photography notes
This is one of the most photogenic wind farms in South Australia, from
public roads.
The topography is flat, but various shrubs, trees and wind-pumps can provide
useful foregrounds.
The turbines are in straight lines, unlike any other Australian wind farm;
this provides unique
photo
opportunities.
You will probably find that you need to go a short distance onto private
land for the best perspectives.
In my experience most Australian farmers do not mind a photographer
entering their land on foot.
I have visited Wattle Point several times.
The best times of day are sunrise and sunset.
I would recommend to anyone standing in the middle of this wind farm
while the sun rose or set; it's almost a spiritual experience.
The turbines are the land-bound equivalents of the old sailing ships,
graceful, quiet, impressive in their power.
See also
Of wind turbines and sailing ships.
|
|
Several interconnectors (high capacity high voltage long distance
power lines) have been built between SA and the eastern states
over the last few years.
Their purpose was mainly to import
power into SA, but if the proposed generation capacity is developed
then these interconnectors could be used for exportation of green
power from SA to the eastern states.
To July 2009 no long-distance power transmission line has been built in
Australia specifically for renewable energy.
| Connector | Owner/Manager
| Capacity | Connection Points
|
| Heywood | ElectraNet SA
| 500 MW import
300 MW export | Lower SE SA to Portland Vic.
|
| Murray-Link | transEnergie
| 200 MW | Redcliff Vic. to Monash SA
|
Proposed
SA-NSW Interconnector (SNI) 1 | NEMCO
| ? | ?
|
Proposed
SA-NSW Interconnector (SNI) 2 | Transgrid
| ? | SA/NSW border to Robertstown via Monash
|
Connectors (extracted from a Net page – no longer available – by
Beyond Logic and elsewhere) are listed in the table above.
|
At the date above there was a very destructive wind in the Port
Pirie/Crystal Brook/Red Hill area.
From the large number of trees blown down I
estimated that it was similar in strength to two previous very
damaging winds; one about 1980 and the other around 1999.
I wondered if there would be any likelihood of such a wind damaging
wind turbines.
Ken Jack of Stanwell (the proposers of Barn Hill Wind Farm, Red
Hill – Wandearah area) kindly
informed me of the wind velocities that he recorded. As some wind
farm operators treat their wind velocity records as confidential,
it would be unfair for me to publish the exact figure here.
However, I can say that the strongest gust was well below the
sort of wind that might be expected to bring down a wind turbine.
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