Spanish renewable energy firm Acciona Energía has started construction on its fifth windfarm in Australia with an investment of nearly A$288m ($202m).
The 157.5MW Mortlake South Windfarm is located in the state of Victoria and will be equipped with 35 4.5MW turbines that will be supplied by Nordex.
Acciona Energía Australia managing director Brett Wickham said: “This fifth windfarm in Australia shows our long-term commitment in a country whose energy future is increasingly linked to the development of clean and renewable sources, a process to which Acciona wants to make a significant contribution.”
During construction, the project is expected to create around 100 employment opportunities and ten jobs after the facility enters the operational phase.
The construction phase will also see the laying of a 15km-long 220kV underground power line to a substation at Terang.
Once operational, the Mortlake South will be able to power approximately 115,000 Australian homes and also offset 532,000t of CO2 released annually by coal-fired power stations.
The Mortlake South windfarm will increase the company’s installed windpower capacity in Australia by 36% to 592MW.
Additionally, the windfarm will have an energy storage facility in order to improve its performance, as well as facilitate grid integration.
Acciona Energía operates four windfarms in Australia; Cathedral Rocks (64MW), Gunning (46.5MW), and Waubra (192MW) and Mt Gellibrand (132MW).
Cathedral Rocks is located in South Australia and Gunning is in New South Wales (NSW), while Waubra and Mt Gellibrand are in the state of Victoria.
Last month, Acciona signed a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Australian company Viva Energy to support the strategically important Geelong Refinery in Victoria.
