Portland Wind Project
Encyclopedia
The Portland wind farm is one of Australia
's largest wind farm
s. Located on the coast of south-western Victoria
near the city of Portland
, it consists of four separate sites, of which three have been completed. Completion of the entire 195 MW project is expected in 2011, at a capital cost of 330 million Australian dollars.
The project is expected to produce more than 500 GWh annually, enough electricity to power about 125,000 homes each year, and equal to more than 7% of Victoria’s residential electricity demand, or powering a city the size of Geelong
. The project is being developed by Pacific Hydro
.
, constructed a blade manufacturing facility at nearby Portland
in August 2005. Blades from the plant were intended to support the project, however blades were ultimately sourced from overseas, and the plant was closed down in December 2007, Vesta citing too little investment support from the Federal government as its reason.
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.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's largest wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
s. Located on the coast of south-western Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
near the city of Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
, it consists of four separate sites, of which three have been completed. Completion of the entire 195 MW project is expected in 2011, at a capital cost of 330 million Australian dollars.
The project is expected to produce more than 500 GWh annually, enough electricity to power about 125,000 homes each year, and equal to more than 7% of Victoria’s residential electricity demand, or powering a city the size of Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
. The project is being developed by Pacific Hydro
Pacific Hydro
Pacific Hydro is an Australian company that specialises in electricity generation using renewable energy. Its focus is on hydroelectricity and windpower. It was a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange until July 2005. It was subject to a successful takeover offer by a subsidiary of...
.
History
The Danish turbine manufacturer, VestasVestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
, constructed a blade manufacturing facility at nearby Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
in August 2005. Blades from the plant were intended to support the project, however blades were ultimately sourced from overseas, and the plant was closed down in December 2007, Vesta citing too little investment support from the Federal government as its reason.
The planning minister approved the construction of wind towers on the Portland capes, including Cape Bridgewater
Cape Bridgewater, Victoria
Cape Bridgewater is a locality in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the western shore of Bridgewater Bay, 21 kilometres south-west of Portland, and 383 kilometres from Melbourne. It lies within the Discovery Bay Coastal Park....
, against the recommendations of the a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal is a government agency in the state of Victoria, Australia. The name is pronounced 'vee-cat'...
hearing and of a government appointed panel.
Stages
- Yambuk wind farm, the first stage of the project, consists of 20 turbinesWind turbineA wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, each measuring 105 m (344 ft) tall, with a maximum rated output of 1.5 MW, totalling to a maximum capacity of 30 MW. These were commissioned in January 2007. The wind farm 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. - Cape Bridgewater wind farm of 58 MW, comprises 29, 2MW generators. At completion in 2008 it was the largest wind farm in Victoria.
- Cape Nelson South wind farm of 44 MW, comprises 22, 2MW generators. It was completed in 2009.
- Cape Sir William Grant wind farm is proposed to have 27 turbines with a planned capacity of 54 MW.