Acciona to build huge wind farm complex in Qld

The construction of a 1026 MW wind farm complex in Queensland has been announced by Acciona following an agreement with CleanCo Queensland, the Queensland Government’s renewable energy generator.

Reported to be the largest ever wind farm in Australia, the MacIntyre complex will boost the Queensland Government’s decarbonisation strategy, mobilising total investments of $1.96 billion.

As part of the announced agreement, CleanCo will become the independent owner and operator of a 100 MW wind farm within the complex in addition to acquiring the annual production of 400 MW from Acciona’s facilities for 10 years through a power purchase agreement.

MacIntyre’s 1026 MW capacity will generate clean electricity to power about 700,000 homes and avoid the emission of nearly three million tons of CO₂ per year. By greening Queensland’s electricity mix, the MacIntyre wind complex will help the state meet its decarbonisation commitments and climate change mitigation strategies.

Set to be Acciona’s biggest renewable energy facility and one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world, the complex will consist of 180 Nordex Group Delta4000 turbines, each with a capacity of up to 5.7 MW. Transmission lines spanning 64 km will be laid to connect the wind complex to the grid.

The project is scheduled to begin construction in mid-2021, with a gradual start-up in phases to ensure connection to the grid for the state’s electricity system while optimising the return on investment. The entire MacIntyre complex is scheduled to be fully operational in 2024.

Acciona is negotiating additional supply agreements with private clients as well as the possible involvement of other investment partners for its 926 MW in the MacIntyre complex.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Pedro Salaverria