Pioneering wind farm in Oz

Siemens Gamesa has been commissioned to build a pioneering wind complex in Australia, one that will combine the installation of a wind farm of 56 of the firm’s SG 3.4-132 turbines with a battery energy storage system.

Under the terms of the contract entered into with the renewable energy IPP, Neoen, Siemens Gamesa will build the entire complex on an EPC basis and then maintain it for 25 years. Located in the Australian town of Stawell, in the state of Victoria, this hybrid facility – known as the Bulgana Green Energy Hub – will comprise the 194 MW wind farm as well as a 20 MW / 34 MWh lithium-ion (Li- ion) battery. EPC construction is set to begin immediately and the commissioning of the facility is expected to occur by August 2019.

This complex has already secured two power purchase agreements (PPAs): one with the government of the state of Victoria for the next 15 years, and the other with the Australian agribusiness Nectar Farms – which will use LED light technology to grow tomatoes in glasshouses – for the next 10 years. Nectar Farms will also receive the power stored in the batteries during low wind periods.

The energy supplied directly from the wind farm, at lower cost than available from the grid, helped its business case to proceed. It is estimated that 97% of this company’s needs will be supplied by 15% of all of the electricity generated at the wind plus storage facility, with the rest going directly to the local grid. Only 3% of Nectar Farms’ energy demand cannot be supplied with wind energy when longer no- wind-periods occur. This is the fourth EPC contract undertaken by Siemens Gamesa for Neoen in Australia, for which it has already installed over 300 MW nationwide.