How
wind will power
Canberra
homes
From 2017, around a third of Canberra’s electricity will
be sourced from new wind farms selected through the
ACT’s 200 megawatt wind auction program.
Canberra will become a research, education, training
and operations hub for the national wind industry.
Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm
The Coonooer Bridge Wind Farm is a wind energy project located
north-west of Bendigo, Victoria. It is jointly owned by Windlab Limited, a
Canberra-based renewable energy company, and landholders neighbouring the
project. It is the first renewable energy project in the country with an ownership
structure that includes the local farming community in this way. Windlab is
establishing a global operations hub in Canberra to manage its Australian and
international wind energy interests, including this project.
Project Details
DEVELOPER
CAPACITY
CAPACITY FACTOR
GENERATION
FIT PRICE
EST. COMPLETION
EMISSIONS REDUCTION
WINDLAB LIMITED
19.4 megawatts
48%
81,000 megawatt hours per annum
$81.50 per megawatt hour
February 2016
67,000 tonnes per annum
Hornsdale Wind Farm
The Hornsdale Wind Farm is a wind energy development on rural land
approximately 90 kilometres south-east of Port Augusta, South Australia, of
which 100 megawatts is being developed to supply the Canberra community.
The project is being developed by Neoen, a French renewable energy
company. Asset management services will be supplied from new facilities to
be constructed in Canberra that will also headquarter Neoen’s wind energy
business across the Asia-Pacific region.
Project Details
DEVELOPER
CAPACITY
CAPACITY FACTOR
GENERATION
FIT PRICE
EST. COMPLETION
EMISSIONS REDUCTION
NEOEN SAS
100 megawatts
49%
414,000 megawatt hours per annum
$92.00 per megawatt hour
February 2017
340,000 tonnes per annum
Australia’s largest solar farm, opened at Royalla in September 2014, is a major
step towards achieving the ACT’s 90% renewable energy target
Ararat Wind Farm
The Ararat Wind Farm will be located on rural land approximately 17 kilometres
north-east of Ararat, Victoria. The project is being developed by RES Australia, a
UK renewable energy company. Asset management services will be supplied by
Windlab Limited’s global renewables operations hub to be established in Canberra.
Project Details
DEVELOPER
CAPACITY
CAPACITY FACTOR
GENERATION
FIT PRICE
EST. COMPLETION
EMISSIONS REDUCTION
RES AUSTRALIA
80.5 megawatts
38%
NATIONAL
271,000 megawatt hours per
annum
ELECTRICITY
$87.00 per megawatt hour
MARKET
April 2017
223,000 tonnes per annum
WIND FARM LOCATIONS
COONOOER BRIDGE WIND FARM
(19.4MW), WINDLAB LIMITED
CANBERRA
ASSET MANAGEMENT,
RESEARCH, EDUCATION,
TRADES TRAINING,
CORPORATE SERVICES
ARARAT WIND FARM (80.5 MW)
RES AUSTRALIA
HORNSDALE WIND FARM (100 MW),
NEOEN SAS
BRISBANE
SYDNEY
ADELAIDE
MELBOURNE
HOBART
The ACT draws its energy from the National Electricity Market grid (blue lines)
which is supplied by both renewable and non-renewable energy generators in
Queensland, Victoria, SA, Tasmania, NSW and the ACT. By purchasing energy
from the three successful proponents from the ACT’s first wind energy reverse
auction, we will be buying about a third of our energy needs from renewable
energy generators on the grid instead of from non-renewable energy
generators on the grid.
Powering Canberra
The 200 megawatt wind auction will deliver almost a third of Canberra’s electricity
supply from renewable sources by 2017. Together with the 40 megawatts of
large-scale solar the Territory is investing in, and the existing 44 megawatts of
household solar installations, this renewable energy generation will meet in excess
of 80% of the electricity used by all ACT households.
As a result, the ACT is on track to meet its target of 90% renewables by 2020.
Reducing emissions
The 200 megawatts of wind generation capacity will reduce electricity emissions
by 580,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum from 2017 or 11.6
million tonnes over 20 years.
This is a third of the emissions reduction required to achieve the ACT Government’s
target of 40% reduction from 1990 levels by 2020.
Competitive pricing
The ACT’s innovative reverse auction process has secured renewable energy at the
lowest possible cost of an average of $89 per megawatt hour – setting another
new standard for low-cost renewables.
Once all three wind farms are fully operational, pass through costs will be around
an average of $1.79 per household per week. This is part of the estimated $4.67
per week of achieving 90% renewables by 2020.
Growing our clean economy
The ACT Renewable Energy Local Investment Framework is stimulating inward
investment by renewable energy companies that compete under our reverse
auction processes. These investments reflect Canberra’s natural advantages as a
dynamic knowledge-based economy.
New investments in research, education and local business development are
diversifying the ACT economy and positioning Canberra as an internationally
recognised centre for renewable energy innovation and investment.
Economic development benefits
Through the 200 megawatt wind auction:
1. The ACT will secure renewable energy at the lowest possible price (under 5
cents per kilowatt hour, net).
2. Assets will be managed from new operations centres in Canberra, creating at
least 11 full time jobs (economic benefits valued at $30 million over 20 years).
3. A new national trades training centre will be established at the Canberra
Institute of Technology, Bruce – The Renewable Energy Skills Centre of
Excellence – attracting 30 to 40 new students to the ACT each year (economic
benefits valued at $13 million over 20 years).
4. A new innovation fund will be established to support local business start-ups
providing a pathway for the development of new export opportunities for the
ACT economy (worth $1.2 million over three years).
5. Canberra universities will benefit from new courses and international research
and development partnerships which will attract new students and business
investment (economic benefits valued at $7 million over 20 years).
Wind farm locations
Canberra is powered by generators located across the National Electricity
Market. New wind generating capacity will help transition the market to a cleaner
and more sustainable footing, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Canberra
based companies and institutions will provide asset management, research
and education services for these facilities, that will create local jobs and export
opportunities.
For more information
www.environment.act.gov.au