Wind Energy Market in Australia Continues to Grow with More than $2 Billion in Projects Proposed

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Australia (Perth, Australia)--Hydro Tasmania (Tasmania, Australia), a leading provider of renewable energy in Australia, recently announced a proposal to build a 600-megawatt (MW) windfarm project. The project will be located on King Island, one of the two inhabited islands in Bass Strait Tasmania, the other being Flinders Island. King Island is believed to have the best wind resources in Australia.

The company is currently investigating the potential and economic viability of the project, which will be called as TasWind Wind Farm Project. Once built, the windfarm will become the biggest in Australia.

Construction of the windfarm will involve installation of 200 wind turbines that will be connected to Victoria via an undersea high-voltage, direct-current cable. Hydro Tasmania will conduct feasibility studies and will examine the technical, environmental and financial aspects of the proposed project in the next two years.

The windfarm project is expected to cost the company $2 billion and is targeted for completion and operation by 2018. Hydro Tasmania has a formal agreement with the Tasmanian government to provide electricity generation, distribution and retailing services on the Bass Strait islands.

The project will provide significant opportunities for the community of Bass Strait by creating 500 jobs during construction.

Goldwind Science & Technology (Beijing, China), China's largest wind-turbine maker, through subsidiary Goldwind Australia Private Limited (New South Wales, Australia) is investigating several options and project opportunities that will contribute to Australia's 2020 renewable energy target.

"Australia is set to install as much as 8,000 MW of wind power by the end of the decade," and Goldwind is "looking to be a serious participant," said John Titchen, the managing director of the company.

According to an assessment made by Australian Renewable Energy Agency, wind energy is the fastest-growing renewable energy source for electricity generation in Australia, with projections to have 44 terawatt-hours of wind energy by 2030, which is an 87% increase from 2010.

Wind Energy currently contributes a total of 0.2% of total primary energy consumption in Australia; however, this is predicted to increase to 12.15% in 2029-30.

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