Acciona to Build 1026 MW Wind Farm in Queensland Worth EUR 1 Bn

Acciona has announced that it will build its largest-ever wind farm in Australia, the MacIntyre complex in Queensland, with a total capacity of 1026 MW.

Acciona has announced that it will build its largest-ever wind farm in Australia, the MacIntyre complex in Queensland, with a total capacity of 1026 MW. The project will boost the Queensland government’s decarbonisation strategy, mobilising total investments of AU$ 1.96 billion (EUR 1 billion). The bulk of the investment will take place between 2022 and 2023.

The firm has reached an agreement with CleanCo, the Queensland Government’s newest renewable energy generator, for it to become the independent owner and operator of a 100 MW wind farm within the MacIntyre complex. In addition, CleanCo will acquire the annual production of 400 MW from Acciona’s facilities for ten years through a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The firm is negotiating additional supply agreements with private clients as well as the possible involvement of other off taker-investor partners for the remainder of the 926 MW capacity in the MacIntyre complex.

The project is scheduled to begin construction in mid-2021, with a gradual start-up in phases to ensure connection to the grid for the state’s electricity system, while optimising the return on investment. Some 64 km of transmission lines will be laid to connect the wind complex to the grid. The entire MacIntyre complex is scheduled to be fully operational in 2024.

MacIntyre’s 1026 MW capacity will generate clean electricity to power about 700,000 homes and avoid the emission of nearly 3 million tons of CO2 per year. By greening Queensland’s electricity mix, the MacIntyre wind complex will help the state meet its decarbonisation commitments and climate change mitigation strategies. The scale of the MacIntyre project makes it one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world today.

The complex will consist of 180 Nordex Group’s Delta4000 turbines, each with a capacity of up to 5.7 MW, which is the latest generation of turbines launched by the German manufacturer.

Furthermore, up to 400 jobs will be generated over the life of the project, providing regional Queensland communities with a significant economic boost. Local spend during construction is expected to exceed AU$ 500 million.