Golden Plains Wind Farm starts feeding into the grid

The Golden Plains Wind Farm at Rokewood has begun feeding into Victoria’s electricity grid, following 20 months of construction.

Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio announced the powering up of the wind farm, which will be able to power 765,000 homes when fully operational. The project consists of 215 turbines that stand 149 metres high with 79-metre blades.

“The Golden Plains Wind Farm will be able to power every regional Victorian home — delivering lower bills for Victorian families,” D’Ambrosio said.

As the first turbines start spinning as part of the 756 MW Stage 1 of the project, Ingka Investments has announced its second investment in the wind farm, taking a 15% stake in Stage 2 of the €2.5 billion mega project.

Ingka Investments is the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest owner and operator of IKEA Retail. This latest investment continues the company’s partnership with TagEnergy, after Ingka Investments secured a 15% stake in Stage 1 of the wind farm in 2023 — its first major utility-scale renewable energy investment in Australia.

Ingka Investments’ Head of Renewable Energy, Frederik de Jong, said, “Our 15% stake in Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 2 highlights our dedication to securing renewable energy for IKEA Retail countries and advancing sustainability goals. This move comes as we are accelerating our investments in renewable energy and circularity to support Ingka Group’s net-zero science-based targets and commitment to reach net zero by 2050. It also strengthens our ability to support value chain partners with renewable energy solutions, promoting a sustainable future for all. As a country, Australia has an ambitious renewable energy target, and we are proud this investment can also help to support this goal.”

Mirja Viinanen, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Australia, said, “We believe the future of energy is renewable, and Australia has such rich potential to harness these sources, especially wind and solar. As we work to reduce our climate footprint in our retail operations, we’re investing in renewable energy through onsite generation at our stores and distribution centre and switching to renewable energy for heating and cooling in our buildings. This investment from Ingka Investments will not only help reduce our local footprint, but it also contributes to further growth in the Australian renewable energy sector.”

Once complete, the 1.3 GW wind farm will produce more than 4000 GWh of energy each year and meet 9% of Victoria’s current energy demand. This will be supported by a 300 MW battery on site that will soak up any excess energy and export it back to the grid when it is needed most.

TagEnergy CEO Franck Woitiez said, “We are proud to continue our partnership with Ingka Investments — a like-minded partner that shares our belief in sustainable investments with purpose and taking meaningful action to help the world reach net zero carbon emissions sooner.”

Image source: Ingka Investments.