Iberdrola Australia is pleased to announce that it has committed to building Flyers Creek Wind Farm, a 145 MW wind project near Orange in central-west New South Wales (NSW). The project is expected to generate approximately 450 GWh/y of electricity, equivalent to powering more than 80 000 Australian households and avoiding over 330 000 tpy of carbon emissions.
Construction works are expected to begin in March 2022 and will include the installation of 38 wind turbines and related balance of plant. The project will create 230 jobs during construction, and an estimated six to eight permanent regional jobs throughout its operational life. A Community Benefit Fund will also be established and will receive its first contribution with the start of construction. The Fund will be administered by Blayney Shire Council.
As Australia’s ageing and unreliable coal fired power plants rapidly approach retirement, the National Electricity Market (NEM) will require significant investment in replacement generation. Since entering the Australian market in 2019, Iberdrola has invested in Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park in South Australia (SA), Avonlie Solar Farm in NSW, Wallgrove Grid Battery in NSW, and Flyers Creek Wind Farm in NSW. These projects will add approximately 760 MW of renewable capacity to the NEM and represent a capital commitment in excess of AUS$1 billion. These projects will help the Australian economy to achieve its decarbonisation goals while also providing customers across Australia with reliable supplies of low-cost green electricity.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Iberdrola Australia, Ross Rolfe, AO, said:
“We are delighted to be progressing with the construction of Flyers Creek Wind Farm. The project will make a meaningful contribution to economic development in and around Blayney Shire and Cabonne Shire. We would like to thank our local communities and landholders for their support and we look forward to working closely with them in the future.”
“Once complete, Flyers Creek Wind Farm will be dispatched as part of Iberdrola Australia’s renewable energy portfolio, one of the largest and fastest growing renewable portfolios in the National Electricity Market. The output of the plant will be sold to Australian businesses and enterprises, helping them achieve their sustainability goals.”
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Energy Global's Winter 2021 issue
The Winter issue of Energy Global features a varied spectrum of in-depth technical articles detailing recent projects, future projections, and technological advancements in the renewables sector, from companies including NOV, Shell Naturelle, Penspen, Future Market Insights, and more.