$ 160m JOBS GENERATOR

Work starts today on major Hughenden wind, solar farm

WORK on a $ 160 million utility- scale wind, solar and storage hybrid generator near Hughenden will begin today.

Kennedy Energy Park will connect to the national electricity network to make a direct contribution to the 50 per cent renewable energy target.

Director Rob Fisher said the project would create 100 jobs in construction and another six during its operation.

Wind turbines will stand 136m high, taller than the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, topped by 60m blades.

Construction is set to finish late next year.

WORK will begin today on Kennedy Energy Park, a $ 160 million utility- scale wind, solar and storage hybrid generator near Hughenden.

The development will connect to the national electricity network to make a direct contribution to the 50 per cent renewable energy target.

Director Rob Fisher said the project would create 100 jobs during the construction process and a further six in the operation phase.

“What the project is doing is enhancing and upgrading the electricity grid in the Hughenden region,” he said.

“It’s the first one that’s been done like that in the world.”

The energy from the project will be produced by 56,000 solar panels and 12 Vestas V136 3.6 megawatt wind turbines.

The bases of the turbines will be 136m high, taller than Sydney Harbour Bridge, topped by 60m blades.

Kennedy Energy Park secured finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency ( ARENA), as part of the Advancing Renewables Programme.

Mr Fisher said the project, with the solar, wind and storage aspects all on the same site, would modernise the grid and continue the rise of renewable power generation in the state.

“You can run a lot of Queensland on renewables, it’s achievable, and it’s definitely affordable,” he said.

The project, developed by wind energy company Windlab Ltd, is set for completion scheduled late next year.

Windlab executive chairman and chief executive officer Roger Price said the wind farm was expected to generate enough electricity per annum to power more than 35,000 average Australian homes.

“The Kennedy Park Energy Hub will have a maximum generating capacity of 60 megawatts of renewable energy – 43 from wind, 15 from solar and two from ( lithium- ion) storage batteries,” he said. “This is an industry first that will produce and feed clean renewable energy into the grid with much greater consistency and reliability from a combination of solar, wind and battery storage.

“It’s also an important and valuable demonstration of how renewable energy can be used to cost- effectively meet most network demand for power, day and night.”

Mr Price said the unique wind and solar development would be a model for future power generation projects.

“Combining wind with the large amounts of solar generation expected to be added to the Queensland grid, will allow a higher penetration of renewable energy at lower costs while reducing the need for storage and other peaking capacity across the network,” he said.

“The Hughenden site has an excellent solar irradiation pattern and exceptional complementary wind resources which continue to blow at night, making it ideal for a hybrid renewable energy project.”

Mr Price hinted the project would expand in the future.

“This is the first stage of what is likely to become a multibillion- dollar investment program in and around Hughenden as this region becomes Australia’s leading renewable energy location with the completion of Queensland’s Clean Energy Hub, with ‘ Big Kennedy’ at its centre,” he said. Editorial, page 18