Turbine Suppliers Complete Construction on Musselroe Windfarm Project in Tasmania

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Perth, Australia)--Turbine suppliers Hydro Tasmania Group (Hobart, Tasmania), with Entura (Hobart, Tasmania), and Vestas Australia Pty Limited (Melbourne, Australia) have completed construction on the 168-megawatt (MW) Musselroe Windfarm in Gladstone, Tasmania.

Hydro Tasmania has engaged Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Limited (Adelaide, Australia) as the electrical contractor and Hazell Bros Group (Hobart, Tasmania) as the balance-of-plant civil contractor to build the windfarm.

The windfarm construction, which began in December 2011, is valued at more than $390 million. The windfarm was completed within the project timeline and included construction of a transmission line to connect it to the Tasmanian electricity system at Derby.

The 56 turbines are now fully operating, with final testing still under way to ensure all components are functioning correctly.

Hydro Tasmania began wind monitoring at the Musselroe site in the early 1980s; a monitoring tower was erected in early 2002 to further investigate the wind potential at the site. The necessary environmental and heritage surveys were taken to assess the potential impact on the community. Civil works and foundations began at the end of 2011.

Hydro Tasmania is one of the largest privately held clean energy businesses, with more than $5.5 billion in assets and a generating capacity of more than 2,421 MW.

In February 2013, Hydro Tasmania extended the existing deals with Shenhua Clean Energy Holdings Pty Limited (Tasmania, Australia) (SCE) by selling a 75% stake in the Musselroe windfarm project. Shenhua Clean Energy is an Australian subsidiary of Gouhua Energy Investment Corporation Limited (Beijing, China) and Shenhua Hong Kong Limited.

According to the partnership agreement, Hydro Tasmania and Snehua Group will have a joint ownership, management and operation of the Musselroe and Woolnorth windfarms. The windfarm will be operated by a new business entity, Woolnorth Wind Holdings, which is formed by Sneuhua Group. Woolnorth Wind has yet to set up a commercial business location in Launceston, Tasmania.

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