Antinuclear

Environment and Climate Change Minister Simon Corbell has announced Sapphire Wind Farm, 18 kilometres west of Glenn Innes in north-eastern New South Wales, as the latest successful proponent from the government’s second wind auction, promising an estimated $100 million dollars in economic benefits to the ACT

Sapphire has been awarded a feed-in-tariff of $89.10 per mW/h for 100mW capacity. The company will spend $34 million on development of an ACT-based asset and operations management centre, relocating operations from Newcastle.

“In a win for local companies, the developers will give preference to ACT based businesses when awarding contracts for the construction of the wind farm – worth at least $5 million,” Mr Corbell said.

A spokesman for Mr Corbell said the consortium behind the bid included companies Continental Wind Partners and Wind Energy Holdings.

“By the time Sapphire starts producing energy in 2018, the ACT will be sourcing 80 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources and well on the way to achieving 90 per cent by 2020,” Mr Corbell said.

In August last year, the government called for bids in its second wind auction to power up to 106,000 Canberra homes, seeking 200 megawatts in new capacity  to come online within three years.

It follows two previous auctions: in 2013, three solar farms won 20-year feed-in deals, delivering 40 megawatts capacity, and in a wind auction earlier this year three wind farms won similar deals, delivering 200 megawatts among  them.

CWP Renewables managing director Alex Hewitt said the auction result had allowed commencement of construction of what will be the largest wind farm in the NSW. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/latest-wind-auction-winner-promises-millions-in-benefits-to-canberra-economy-20160303-gn9n0a.html