Australian renewable energy company Squadron Energy has received state planning approval for its proposed 420MW Moreton Hill Wind Farm located in Central Highlands region of Victoria.
The Victorian Minister for Planning has granted approval for the project’s Environment Report and planning permits, following a public exhibition period that allowed local communities and stakeholders to review and comment on the scheme.
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The development, situated on Wadawurrung Country around 35km southwest of Ballarat, will consist of up to 62 turbines.
Once operational, the wind farm is expected to generate electricity sufficient to power approximately 260,000 households each year and could help prevent nearly 350,000t of emissions annually.
The planning process included a public display of permit applications across Corangamite and Golden Plains shire councils, forming part of the required state approval procedure.
According to Squadron, the environmental documentation for the project was open for public feedback in July.
Electricity generated by Moreton Hill Wind Farm will be connected to the grid through a new underground 220kV power line, which will link the development to the Berrybank terminal station located about 9km to the south.
While state planning consent marks a major step, the proposed wind farm still requires consent from the Commonwealth under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act before proceeding.
Squadron Energy says the project’s location and scale are designed to contribute to Victoria’s renewable energy targets.
Last month, the Victorian Government granted approval for the 1.5GW Warracknabeal Energy Park in western Victoria. Developed by WestWind Energy, the project will see up to 219 wind turbines installed across two locations near Warracknabeal.
According to project details, the wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to supply approximately 1.2 million homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 4.2 million tonnes each year.
