Victorian Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, has the approved the commencement of construction works for Warracknabeal Energy Park.
Set to become the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, the project further strengthens Victoria’s position as a major renewable energy development state within the National Electricity Market.
With an installed capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, Warracknabeal Energy Park will feature up to 219 wind turbines generating approximately 5500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy per year. This is enough electricity to meet 12.5 per cent of Victoria’s energy needs.
The development has progressed through Victoria’s environmental assessment framework, including technical studies, public consultation and a public inquiry process. However, Commonwealth approval under national environmental legislation is still required before the project can proceed to a final investment decision.
“This is a major step towards delivering the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, right here in Victoria,” Minister Kilkenny said.
“This rigorous EES process has shown this project can go ahead while meeting Victoria’s environmental standards.”
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, expanded on the significance of the Warracknabeal Energy Park.
“This project would be a massive boost to Victoria’s renewable energy capacity – powering more than one million homes with cheaper, cleaner energy,” D’Ambrosio said.
The announcement comes as Victoria continues to pursue its legislated renewable energy targets of 65 per cent renewable generation by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035.
According to the Victorian Government, the project is expected to create almost 950 construction jobs, alongside ongoing operational roles, once the facility is commissioned.
For the official Victorian Government media release, click here.
