WA wind farm to generate power for 100,000 homes

French renewable energy company Neoen has commenced construction of its 179 MW Narrogin Wind Farm after signing a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Synergy for 100% of its generation at the point of connection (168 MW).

Located 200 km south-east of Perth, WA, the wind farm will consist of 23 EN182-7.8 MW turbines and connect into the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) network via Western Power’s existing 220 kV transmission line. It is Neoen’s fourth major project and first wind farm in WA.

The signed PPA will enable Synergy to further support WA in its target of achieving 82% renewables in the SWIS by 2030. The project has also been awarded a Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement by the Australian Government.

“We are grateful for the trust that Synergy and the Government of Western Australia have placed in us, and we are delighted to be joining hands with Envision, UGL and CPB Contractors to build Neoen’s first wind farm on the west coast,” said Jean-Christophe Cheylus, Neoen’s Regional CEO for Australia Pacific. “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the project’s journey to date — especially our host landowners, the Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation and the wider community. Together, we look forward to powering Western Australia’s future with clean and reliable energy.”

Neoen has provided notices to proceed to turbine manufacturer Envision Energy, and to a consortium of UGL and CPB Contractors (members of the CIMIC Group) for the balance of plant.

The project is expected to generate enough clean energy to meet about 3% of the annual energy demand in the SWIS, which is equivalent to powering nearly 100,000 Western Australian homes every year.

Once Narrogin Wind Farm is operational, it will deliver a neighbour benefit scheme and an annual community benefit-sharing program to support legacy initiatives in WA’s Wheatbelt region.

“The start of construction of Neoen’s Narrogin Wind Farm is a major step forward for Western Australia’s clean energy future,” said Josh Wilson, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

“This project will help deliver cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy while creating jobs and investment in the Wheatbelt and supporting the state’s transition from coal-fired power. Narrogin Wind Farm is one of the projects that will help power more Western Australian homes and strengthen energy security, while reducing emissions and putting downward pressure on power prices.”

In under four years, Neoen has brought 903 MW of renewable energy and storage capacity to WA, representing over AU$2 billion of investment in the state’s energy transition.

Narrogin Wind Farm will complement the company’s existing 724 MW/3.1 GWh storage portfolio comprising Collie Battery (two stages, both in operation) and Muchea Battery (under construction).

“I would like to congratulate the team on this impressive achievement. Neoen has experienced rapid growth in Western Australia in recent years with storage and we’re excited to be adding wind generation to the mix,” said Xavier Barbaro, Neoen’s Group CEO. “This milestone also means Neoen has now developed and delivered more than 10 GW of capacity globally. We intend to further accelerate our growth and our contribution to the energy transition with the aim of doubling our impact to 20 GW by 2030.”

Image: Supplied