GE Renewable Energy has partnered with ENGIE in Australia to develop the 119 MW Willogoleche Wind Farm in South Australia, which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2018 and to generate enough electricity for 80,000 homes.
French multinational electric utility company ENGIE announced earlier this month that it had begun pre-construction work on its 119 MW (megawatt) Willogoleche Wind Farm, set to be constructed in South Australia, 160 kilometers north of the state’s capital, Adelaide. The wind farm, once completed in mid-2018, will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 80,000 homes.
On Friday, ENGIE in Australia announced that it had begun pre-construction work on the $250 (AUD) project, which will be made up of 32 wind turbines to be provided by GE Renewable Energy. GE, which announced its involvement on Saturday, will provide 24 3.8 MW wind turbines and 8 3.4 MW wind turbines.
“We are excited to be working with ENGIE on this project, and to continue our commitment to serving the energy needs of South Australia,” said Geoff Culbert, President & CEO, GE Australia, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea.
“We have seen tremendous momentum in the Australian wind industry this year. This will be our fourth wind farm to begin construction in 2017, with more than 300 GE turbines either operating or under construction across the country, capable of powering the equivalent of more than 500,000 Australian homes with renewable energy.
“It is encouraging to see more projects like this reach financial close, and we look forward to continuing to bring the best renewables technology to Australia.”
South Australia remains one of the world’s leading renewable energy states, with a significant portion of its electricity being generated by wind energy. In fact, earlier this year the State’s target of sourcing 50% of its electricity from renewable energy was achieved well ahead of schedule. While renewable energy is a hot issue in Australia, given the current state of entrenched coal-backed politicians, states like South Australia are well on their way to driving the country’s renewable energy industry forward, despite the Federal Government’s lackluster performance.
Source: cleantechnica.com
