Wind Turbine Towers To Be Manufactured In South Australia

20 wind turbine towers for South Australia's Snowtown II wind farm will be constructed in Whyalla.

20 wind turbine towers for South Australia’s Snowtown II wind farm will be constructed in Whyalla.
  
Siemens Ltd  is working with E&A Contractors, who are planning to build a wind tower manufacturing facility in the town using equipment and personnel from former wind tower manufacturers RPG; which was recently placed into Voluntary Administration.
   
According to a press release from Minister Greg Combet’s office, over 80 per cent of wind turbine towers used in Australia so far have been sourced from Australian suppliers.
  
“As part of this great project we have actively collaborated with Australian suppliers to supply the towers locally,” said Siemens Ltd’s Vice President David Pryke. “E & A have demonstrated strong business acumen and a commitment to re-establishing the wind tower business for South Australia by acquiring the key assets and people of RPG.”
  
Minister Combet’s office used the opportunity to again criticise previous comments by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott who suggested Whyalla would be “wiped off the map” as a result of Australia’s carbon tax.
   
“This new investment shows that far from being wiped off the map, regional centres like Whyalla can look forward to a prosperous clean energy future with valuable new manufacturing jobs and new industries.”
  
Construction of Snowtown Stage II started late last month and consists of  a 90 turbine expansion of the existing Snowtown wind farm, which will add 270 megawatts capacity.
  
Snowtown II is expected to be capable of generating enough electricity to supply around 180,000 South Australian homes when it is operational by the end of 2014.
      
Stage 1 of Snowtown Wind Farm was completed in 2008 and generates enough power to supply nearly 70,000  households. 
 
Owned by TrustPower, Snowtown wind farm is situated on the Barunga and Hummocks ranges west of Snowtown, around 150 kilometres north of Adelaide. The turbines use Siemens’ Direct Drive technology, which eliminates the gearbox, and longer blades.

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