General News
19 August, 2021
What’s next for Mortlake South Wind Farm
MORTLAKE South Wind Farm developer Acciona is patiently waiting for the green light to be connected to the energy network before taking the final steps towards generating electricity.
MORTLAKE South Wind Farm developer Acciona is patiently waiting for the green light to be connected to the energy network before taking the final steps towards generating electricity.
The wind farm is currently waiting in a queue for connection to the energy network, which needs to be completed prior to the process of verification and testing which precedes energy generation.
Acciona community and stakeholder liaison Theo Carroll said the wait for connection was not unexpected due to the process of adaption for the newer technology of renewable energy.
“The new wind farms in Western Victoria are facing a bit of a wait with connecting to the network, and Mortlake South Wind Farm is no different,” he said.
“It is a pretty complex problem which involves adapting to the energy network in Western Victoria, or ‘the grid’ as we call it, to efficiently work with the new renewable energy technology.
“So we’re waiting to connect in a queue which is managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
“That wait in the queue is something outside of our control and a challenge the whole industry is facing.”
Mr Carroll said while it is unknown how long the wind farm will be waiting in the queue, the $275 million project is “here and ready to go”.
“It isn’t possible to determine when the wind farm will be approved to connect, to begin testing and commissioning, but it’s only a matter of time,” he said.
“The wind farm is built, we know we’re going to be able to connect soon, and the investment for us as a company is completely justified.
“As soon as we get word from AEMO that we’re at the front of the queue and can connect, we will begin the commissioning process.
“This process verifies all the turbines are good to go, and from there it’ll be about three months until the turbines are spinning; generating electricity and pumping it in to the grid.”
The construction crew reached a major milestone in May with the installation of the site’s 35th and final turbine.
Around 500,000 working hours were completed to erect the turbines thanks to the efforts of a workforce which peaked at 120 workers, 80 per cent of which were locals, according to Mr Carroll.
“During that time we did not have a single lost time injury, so that safety record is something that we’re very proud of as it was a huge focus for the project,” he said.
“The core construction team will remain on site to complete quality inspections inside and outside the turbines, continue maintenance and reinstatement works of the surrounding roads, and to speak with landowners and neighbours to make sure they’re happy with where things are regarding any ongoing works in their paddocks.”
The remaining crew are also removing the hard stands and temporary buildings as operation and maintenance duties steadily shift to the permanent building on the corner of Tapps Lane and Terang-Mortlake Road.
Locals will soon have the opportunity to learn more and get a closer look as Acciona plan to hold an open day in October.
“We’ve recently had a few different community groups visit the site between lockdowns, including mens social support groups from Terang and Mortlake as well as members of the Mortlake Men’s Shed,” he said.
“We’ll be accepting a couple more visits from community groups over the next couple of months, and the first chance the public will have to come to the wind farm for a look around will be October 31,
depending on if COVID impacts those plans.
“We’re planning to open the wind farm up as part of Clean Energy Open Day, which is an initiative the Clean Energy Council runs.
“We plan to run bus tours in to the wind farm from Mortlake, Terang and possibly Noorat – where members of the public can enjoy a bus tour around the wind farm and a stop under one of the turbines to have a closer look.”
