There are in total 31 ACCIONA 1.5 megawatt (MW) turbine towers, each 76 m high, with a base diameter of 4.5 m and top diameter of 2.5 m.

Each wind tower base is anchored into position by approximately 250 cubic metres of reinforced concrete. The octagonal footings are approximately 16 m wide and 1.5 m thick.

The steel towers were made in Korea by Dongkuk and are 80 m high with a base diameter of 4.5 m and top diameter of 2.5 m.

The nacelle and hub were both produced in Spain by ACCIONA Windpower, and have a combined weight of approximately 65 tonnes, and together are 12.5 m long and 4 m high.

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There are two blade types in use at the Gunning Wind Farm. They are up to 40 m long and weigh up to 6 tonnes each.

Energy transmission

In order to harness the energy generated at Gunning Wind Farm and connect it to the electricity grid, a 132 kilovolt (kV) transmission line was constructed to connect the wind farm to the existing Yass-Goulburn transmission line.

Electricity is generated from the wind turbines at 12 kV, which is then increased at a substation to 132 kV to match the existing Yass-Goulburn voltage, before connection is made to the grid.

Gunning for the environment

Gunning Wind Farm will help reduce the region’s reliance on fossil fuels and will save a total of 162,000 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions each year for the 25 year lifespan of the farm. Electricity generated at Gunning will fulfil the energy needs of approximately 30,000 households annually.

Each of the 1.5 MW turbines at the Gunning Wind Farm can provide sufficient electricity to power approximately 750 homes and save more than 5,250 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

Of the project, ACCIONA Group Managing Director of the Asia Pacific Brett Thomas says: “The Federal Government set an ambitious target of obtaining 20 per cent of Australia’s power from renewable sources by 2020, so projects like the Gunning Wind Farm are critical in working to achieve this.”

Cultural heritage at Gunning An Aboriginal dwelling ruin can be found on the wind farm site between the eastern and central ridges, approximately 1 km west of the wind farm’s substation site. The ruin comprises of a chimney, concrete slab and remnant brickwork. There is also a trigonometrical (Trig) station on the wind farm site, which was once used as a fixed surveying station. The Trig is represented by a small unformed collection of rocks on the ground. Fortunately, Gunning Wind Farm’s operation will have no impact on either of these cultural heritage sites.