Construction of the 131 MW Mt Mercer Wind Farm, located approximately 30 km south of Ballarat in Victoria, has commenced.
Site offices are currently being delivered and established at the temporary construction compound; which will serve the main civil and electrical contractor, Downer EDI Engineering, the turbine supplier, REpower Australia and the Meridian Energy Australia staff for the next 18 months.
Work is also currently under way to upgrade some of the public roads around the wind farm site, including strengthening the bridge that crosses the Lawaluk Creek on Graham’s Road.
When completed, the facility will host 64 REpower MM92 (2.05 MW) wind turbines. The wind farm will produce enough electricity to power the city of Ballarat (population 95,000+) and avoid more than 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
200 jobs will be created during construction, as well as related employment opportunities for the local community. After construction is complete, the wind farm will result in the creation of 20 permanent jobs.
The facility is being constructed on existing farmland and landowners will be able to continue their farming operations as they have done in the past.
Mt Mercer Wind Farm is being developed by Meridian Energy Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Meridian Energy Ltd; which is New Zealand’s largest generator of renewables-based electricity.
Meridian Energy is also a partner in the $1 billion Macarthur Wind Farm. Situated near Hamilton, 260 kilometres west of Melbourne, the 420 megawatt wind farm will be largest facility in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. Completion of Macarthur Wind Farm is expected within the next couple of months.
Meridian also owns and operates the 70 MW Mt Millar wind farm, located in South Australia approximately 100km south-west of Whyalla on the Eyre Peninsula. Mt Millar became fully operational in 2006.
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