Wattle Point Wind Farm
Encyclopedia
Wattle Point Wind Farm is a wind farm
near Edithburgh
on the coast of South Australia
, which has been operating since April 2005. When it was officially opened in June of that year it was Australia
's largest wind farm at 91 megawatts. The installation consists of 55 wind turbine
s covering 17.5 square kilometres (6.8 sq mi)and was built at a cost of 180 million Australian dollars. It is connected to ETSA Utilities
electricity transmission system via a 132 kilovolt
line.
The location was chosen after identification as having one of mainland Australia's highest average wind speeds. The wind farm was officially opened by South Australian Premier Mike Rann
and Southern Hydro Chairman, Dr Keith Turner. The opening was opposed by some of the local Indigenous Australians, the Adjahdura (or Narungga
). A descendant of the traditional landowners argued that construction desecrated
an ancient burial ground
, disturbing skeletons in the construction of turbine number four. Work was halted in late 2004 after the discovery of human remains, artefacts and tools. The Aboriginal Affairs Department, and the developers, separately commissioned archaeological
reports resulting in the development allowed to proceed with five towers being repositioned. Both reports concluded that the bones had come from elsewhere on the peninsula, being later reburied at Wattle Point. The region's aboriginal community was divided on construction; Narungga National Aboriginal Corporation supporting development and the Narungga Heritage Committee strongly opposing.
Wattle Point Wind Farm was built and owned by Southern Hydro Pty Limited. Southern Hydro was owned by Meridian Energy
of New Zealand until October 2005, when it was bought by the Australian Gas Light Company
(AGL). The windfarm was acquired by Alinta
in October 2006, as part of an asset merger with AGL, and subsequently by the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's Energy Infrastructure Trust, for 225 million dollars on 23 April 2007.
An extension, Wattle Point Stage 2, was proposed, but not built because of insufficient capacity in the electrical transmission lines .
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...
near Edithburgh
Edithburgh, South Australia
Edithburgh is a small town on the south-east corner of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Edithburgh is about west of Adelaide across Gulf St Vincent, but away by road...
on the coast of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, which has been operating since April 2005. When it was officially opened in June of that year it was Australia
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 at 91 megawatts. The installation consists of 55 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A 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...
s covering 17.5 square kilometres (6.8 sq mi)and was built at a cost of 180 million Australian dollars. It is connected to ETSA Utilities
ETSA Utilities
ETSA Utilities is the operator of the South Australian electricity distribution network, delivering electricity from the high voltage transmission network connection points through a network of about 85,000 kilometres of powerlines, to over 782,000 residential and business customers throughout most...
electricity transmission system via a 132 kilovolt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
line.
The location was chosen after identification as having one of mainland Australia's highest average wind speeds. The wind farm was officially opened by South Australian Premier Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
and Southern Hydro Chairman, Dr Keith Turner. The opening was opposed by some of the local Indigenous Australians, the Adjahdura (or Narungga
Narungga
The Narungga are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands are located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The boundary of their traditional lands runs roughly between the towns of Port Broughton and Port Wakefield....
). A descendant of the traditional landowners argued that construction desecrated
Desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful or contemptuous treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.-Detail:...
an ancient burial ground
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, disturbing skeletons in the construction of turbine number four. Work was halted in late 2004 after the discovery of human remains, artefacts and tools. The Aboriginal Affairs Department, and the developers, separately commissioned archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
reports resulting in the development allowed to proceed with five towers being repositioned. Both reports concluded that the bones had come from elsewhere on the peninsula, being later reburied at Wattle Point. The region's aboriginal community was divided on construction; Narungga National Aboriginal Corporation supporting development and the Narungga Heritage Committee strongly opposing.
Wattle Point Wind Farm was built and owned by Southern Hydro Pty Limited. Southern Hydro was owned by Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...
of New Zealand until October 2005, when it was bought by the Australian Gas Light Company
Australian Gas Light Company
The Australian Gas Light Company was an Australian gas and electricity retailer. It was formed in Sydney in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841 AGL was the second company to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company gradually...
(AGL). The windfarm was acquired by Alinta
Alinta
Alinta is an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It was bought in 2007 by a consortium including Singapore Power and various now defunct Babcock & Brown...
in October 2006, as part of an asset merger with AGL, and subsequently by the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's Energy Infrastructure Trust, for 225 million dollars on 23 April 2007.
See also
- Wind power in South AustraliaWind power in South AustraliaWind power in South Australia is a significant energy source for the state and South Australia is well suited to wind farms due to its proximity to the Roaring forties....