AustraliaThe $2.7 billion Golden Plains wind farm project will begin commercial operations in 2027 with a total power generation capacity of 1.3 GW.
Australia aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and has big plans to phase out fossil fuels. While many countries invest heavily in offshore wind farms, Australia researches terrestrial wind power technology. Turbines used for land wind farms are much smaller, so they produce less energy with each rotation of the blades.
However, Australia still uses smaller capacity technology and built the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere. The farm, called Golden Plains, has just entered the second phase of construction. Interesting Engineering reported on June 19. Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas will supply turbines for this phase.
Golden Plains Wind Farm is located in Golden Plains Shir, Victoria, Australia. This is an alternative to the 1,480 MW Yallourn coal power plant, expected to be decommissioned in 2028. The project is worth 2.7 billion USD, conducted by TagEnergy company.
Construction on Golden Plains begins in 2023 and is divided into two phases. In the first phase, the farm will have a power generation capacity of 756 MW, using Vestas V162-6.2 MW wind turbines. In the second phase, the farm installed 93 more turbines of the same capacity, helping to increase electricity generation capacity by 577 MW. In total, the wind farm will have a capacity of about 1.3 GW.
When the second phase enters commercial operation, expected in 2027, Golden Plains will generate 4,500 GWh of electricity annually, meeting 8% of Victoria’s needs. “This mega project significantly improves Victoria’s energy security, reduces pressure on electricity costs and significantly reduces carbon pollution. Together with our partners, we are accelerating the energy transition.” , said Andrew Riggs, manager at TagEnergy.