Pacific Hydro Begins Construction on Portland Windfarm in Victoria, Australia

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Australia (Perth, Australia)--Pacific Hydro Limited (Melbourne, Australia) reported financial closure for the Portland Wind Energy Project (PWEP IV) in September 2013. The 47-megawatt (MW) PWEP project is now in the first phase of construction, with early site preparations and civil works conducted by Consolidated Power Project Pty Limited (Adelaide, Australia), the electrical contractor for the project.

The PWEP IV windfarm project is the fourth stage of Pacific Hydro's 179-MW Portland Wind Energy Project in Portland, Victoria, which comprises a 30-MW Stage I windfarm at Yambuk (PWEPI), a 58-MW Stage II windfarm at Cape Bridgewater (PWEPII), a 44-MW PWEPIII at Cape Nelson South, and a 47-MW PWEP IV at Cape Nelson North and Cape Sir William Grant.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has provided a $70 million loan to the project, according to a report in Fairfax Media. "While an agreement has been in place with CEFC for some time, we have now achieved financial close with the entire banking consortium," said Lane Crockett, the general manager at Pacific Hydro Australian.

Pacific Hydro received planning approvals for all four sites in 2001; however, the actual development work on Stage IV began only in 2009. Pacific Hydro selected REpower Australia Pty Limited (Victoria, Australia) to supply the wind turbines and has chosen Keppel Prince Engineering Pty Limited (Victoria) as the civil balance of plant contractor, while Consolidated Power Projects was chosen as the electrical balance-of-plant contractor.

Electrical fit-out work is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2014, and major windfarm construction, including turbine installation, will be performed during the second quarter of 2014. Windfarm construction is expected to take 18 months, with full commercial operations to commence by mid-2015. The PWEP IV will feature 23 REpower turbines with 11 and 12 turbines at Cape Nelson and Cape Sir William Grant sites, respectively, to produce 47 MW of electricity. The two-year construction period will employ approximately 400 people and will provide significant benefits to the local community, including an annual increase of $140,000 in funds to Portland Sustainable Communities.

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