Portland Wind Project

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Wind Farm on the Port Fairy - Portland Road
Wind Farm on the Port Fairy - Portland Road

The Portland Wind Project is one of Australia's largest wind farms. Located on the coast of south-western Victoria near the city of Portland, it consists of four separate sites. Completion of the entire 195 MW project is expected in 2007/08, at a capital cost of 270 million Australian dollars.

The project will then produce more than 500 GWh annually, enough electricity to power about 125,000 homes each year, and equal to more than 7 per cent of Victoria’s residential electricity demand, or powering a city the size of Geelong. The project is being developed by Pacific Hydro.[1]

The Danish turbine manufacturer, Vestas, constructed a blade manufacturing facility at nearby Portland in August 2005. Blades from the plant were intended to support the project, however blades were instead sourced from overseas, and the facility to be closed down from December 2007.[2]

Contents

[edit] Stages

  • Yambuk Wind Farm, the first stage of the project, consists of 20 turbines, each 105 metres high in total, and with a maximum rated output of 1.5 MW each for a total maximum capacity of 30 MW. These were installed in early 2005. It is adjacent to the existing Codrington Wind Farm, and is expected to produce more than 90GWh annually at a capital cost of about 50 million Australian dollars.
  • Stage two consists of another 100 turbines at three sites:
    • Cape Bridgewater (currently under construction)
    • Cape Nelson
    • Cape Sir William Grant

[edit] Controversy

The planning minister approved the construction of wind towers on the Portland capes, including Cape Bridgewater, against the recommendations of the a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing and of a government appointed panel.[3] Planning Minister Mary Delahunty has since admitted that she had neither visited the coastline or seen a windfarm.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pacific Hyro (2007). Portland Wind Project (English). Pacific Hyro. Retrieved on August 31, 2007.
  2. ^ "Green Energy Market Unviable: Vestas", The Age, 2007-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  3. ^ Baillieu, Ted. "Don't Ruin our Coast with Wind Farms", The Age, 2003-09-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links