WestWind Energy are proposing a 1.3-gigawatt (GW) wind farm and 300 megawatt-hour battery storage system across more than 16,000 hectares at Rokewood in Victoria's Golden Plains Shire. The project is likely to be the largest wind generation project in Australia.
The project scope includes:
- 215 turbines with a tip height of 230 metres
- four substations
- up to six permanent meteorological masts
- terminal substation connected to the Melbourne-Portland 500 kilovolt transmission line
- 150 kilometres of internal access roads, and
- a quarry for the production of crushed rock products required for the project’s construction.
The project will be delivered in two stages. Stage one will include the first 122 wind turbines.
Key Dates
| 2018 | Project Announcement |
| Feb 2022 | Contract Award |
| 2022 | Financial close - Stage One |
| Apr 2023 | Construction Commencement - Stage One |
| Jun 2024 | Financial close - Stage Two |
| Jun 2024 | Construction Commencement - Stage Two |
| 2025 | Expected Construction Completion - Stage One |
| Jul 2027 | Expected Construction Completion - Stage Two |
Financing
| Equity Finance: | TagEnergy |
| Equity Finance: | Ingka Investments |
| Debt Finance: | Clean Energy Finance Corporation |
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TagEnergy acquired 100 per cent of the equity in the project in February 2022. Ingka Investments subsequently obtained 15 per cent of the equity in the $2 billion Stage One of the project in February 2023. |
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Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | WestWind Energy |
| Successful Tenderer: | GE - turbine supplier Vestas was awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract |
| Adviser (Govt): | WSP was appointed as the Independent Certifier |
| Procurement note: | Following the equity investment of TagEnergy in February 2022, WestWind Energy was retained as asset manager while TagEnergy will be the primary investor and operator of the project. |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Jul 2016 | WestWind Energy conducted feasibility studies at the Rokewood site. |
| May 2018 | The project's Environmental Effects Statement (EES) was placed on exhibition until 18 June. |
| Oct 2018 | The Victorian Government provided conditional approval for the project in its assessment of the project's EES. The project was approved on the basis that the proponent reduce the quantity of turbines from 228 to 181 to protect Brolga breeding wetlands. |
| 2021 | WestWind Energy submitted a Planning Permit Amendment in response to the government's assessment of the EES. The amendment included modification of the site plan, including reduction to 215 turbines and moving of associated infrastructure to comply with the Brolga Breeding Buffer permit condition, amendments to the Brolga Monitoring and Compensation Plan condition, administrative correction to the flood event surface water level condition, and increasing turbine rotor diameter from 150 metres to 165 metres. |
| Nov 2021 | The Victorian Government approved WestWind Energy's Planning Permit Amendment in full. |
| Feb 2022 | WestWind Energy announced they secured equity financing and awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the project. TagEnergy will be the majority equity investor and operate of the wind farm. Vestas was awarded the EPC contract and long-term service and maintenance contract under a 30-year term. WestWind Energy also announced project scope changes. The project increased generating capacity from one gigawatt to 1.3 gigawatts. In addition, the project will include a 300 megawatt-hour battery storage facility. These scope changes have increased the total cost of the project from $1.7 billion to $3 billion. |
| Nov 2022 | Project proponent, WestWind Energy, announced that Stage One of Golden Plains Wind Farm project has reached financial close, and confirmed that Stage One of the project will commence construction in early 2023. |
| Feb 2023 | Ingka Investments took a 15 per cent equity stake in the 756 MW Stage One of the project, and securing 15 per cent of the output of this stage of the project once operational. TagEnergy retained the remaining 85 per cent of equity in Stage One. |
| Feb 2023 | WSP was appointed as the Independent Certifier for the project. |
| Apr 2023 | Construction commenced on Stage One of the project. |
| Aug 2023 | TagEnergy signed a PPA with Snowy Hydro to take 40 per cent of the energy and LGCs generated by the Stage One of the project. |
| Feb 2024 | TagEnergy signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Equinix Inc. to take 20 percent of the energy and green certificates (LGCs) generated by the 756 MW first stage of the mega project. |
| Jun 2024 | TagEnergy reached financial close on the second stage of the project, with works also having commenced. |
| Jun 2024 | The Clean Energy Finance Corporation announced an increased in their debt finance contribution to the project by $127.5 million, bringing their total contribution to $350 million. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2024)
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Other |
Location
Victoria |
Resources
