08.10.07

Waubra Wind Farm well underway

The civil construction works that started in November last year are now almost complete for all 128 wind turbines. Internal access tracks, turbine hardstands and turbine foundations have been built with final site clean up works currently taking place.

The next steps in building the wind farm are electrical works, installing the wind turbines and commissioning the wind turbines.

The electrical works include laying underground cables, constructing overhead lines and building a terminal station and five substations. Electrical works will start in November this year and will be completed mid 2008, weather permitting.

Acciona Windpower, Acciona Energy’s sister company, is supplying the turbine parts, constructing the wind turbines and comissioning them. “We are very excited about this job. This is the largest wind farm we have constructed across the world” Emilio Urruchi, Project Manager Acciona Windpower said.

“The first wind turbine parts will arrive at the Waubra Wind Farm site between the end of November and the beginning of December this year. Each turbine consists of four main components: tower, nacelle, hub and blades. Each tower will be transported to site in three sections. The first turbines will be erected around the beginning of December. The turbines will be assembled using cranes” Mr Urruchi explains.

The towers are being produced by Keppel Prince Engineering, a local Portland company, and by Haywards Engineering in Tasmania. The nacelles and hubs are being manufactured by Acciona Windpower in Pamplona, Spain and the blades by Tecsis in Brazil.

Acciona Energy expects to have all 128 turbines connected to the electricity grid and commissioned by the end of 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from Quoin Hill to the south showing access track and foundations