Largest public wind farm gets green light

The Queensland Government has approved the Tarong West Wind Farm project, located in Queensland’s South Burnett region.

The 436.5 megawatt (MW) wind farm is backed by a substantial $776.1 million investment from the Queensland Government’s Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund. Set to become the nation’s largest publicly owned wind farm, it will be developed by the publicly owned Stanwell Corporation in collaboration with global renewable energy developer RES.

Michael O’Rourke, Stanwell’s CEO said the Tarong West Wind Farm is a critical part of not only Stanwell’s plan to decarbonise its existing portfolio, but also critical to Queensland reaching its renewable energy targets.

“This development approval brings us one step closer to our aim of having nine to 10 GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity by 2035 and we are continuing to work with RES through the approval processes so we can bring this project to life,” O’Rourke said.

The 436.5MW wind farm will not only provide enough clean energy into the network to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes, it will also bring significant regional benefits to the community and also provide future career opportunities for our people.

Once operational, the wind farm will feature an 97 wind turbines, generating enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes. According to the State Government, the project is expected to create a significant economic boost, with approximately 200 construction jobs and 15 ongoing operational roles projected.

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