Renewable energy company TagEnergy has broken ground on the 756MW stage one of the 1.3GW Golden Plains wind farm in Victoria, Australia.
Stage one of the Australian onshore wind project, which reached a financial close in November 2022, entails an investment of A$2bn ($1.34bn).
Being constructed near Rokewood, 60km northwest of Geelong, the Golden Plains project includes a 300MW battery storage facility.
Upon the completion of stages one and two, the onshore wind project is expected to generate more than 4,000GWh of clean energy per annum. This will be enough electricity to power over 750,000 households, as per TagEnergy.
Victoria Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said: “Victoria’s the clean energy investment capital of Australia, and this project is another example of how Victoria’s ambitious renewable energy policies are creating jobs and driving the renewables sector.
“Golden Plains wind farm is creating hundreds of local jobs and once complete is capable of generating 9 per cent of Victoria’s total electricity demand.”
The Golden Plains wind farm will feature 215 turbines, each with a capacity of nearly 6MW. The overall investment for the project, including the second stage of 576MW capacity is over A$3bn ($2bn).
TagEnergy stated that the work on the wind farm and transmission line access tracks, foundations for the turbines, and two substations that will link the produced electricity to the grid has commenced.
Arrival of the turbine components for the Golden Plains wind farm is expected in October this year followed by initial energisation to the grid, which is scheduled for September 2024.
TagEnergy Australia managing partner Andrew Riggs said: “Breaking ground marks another great milestone for this landmark project that will have a profound impact on the shift to clean energy in Victoria and beyond.
“We’re excited to get moving quickly on construction so we can continue to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and help the world reach net zero carbon emissions sooner.”
The Golden Plains wind farm is anticipated to eliminate over 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equal to 3% of the total greenhouse emissions of Victoria, said the Victorian government.
Besides, the stage 1 of the onshore wind project is expected to generate nearly 700 jobs during construction and 72 ongoing jobs.
Westwind Energy is the original developer of the wind project and in 2022, TagEnergy joined as an equity investor.
In November 2022, TagEnergy awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Vestas for the first stage of the wind farm.
Ausnet Services holds a contract for the grid connection works at the project.
Earlier this year, Ingka Investments agreed to acquire a 15% stake in the Golden Plains wind farm.
