Canunda Wind Farm (formerly named Lake Bonney Central Wind Farm) is a $92.5 million, 46 MW
wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...
project located on grazing land approximately 16 kilometres south of
Millicent
Millicent or Milicent is a female given name that has been in use since the Middle Ages. The English form Millicent derives from the Old French '' Melisende'', from the Germanic ''amal'' "work" and ''swinth'' "strength".Withycombe, E.G., comp. (19 ...
, and 6 kilometres west of
Tantanoola in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
.
It is jointly owned by
GDF Suez Energy AustraliaEn 72%) and
Mitsui
is one of the largest ''keiretsu'' in Japan and one of the largest corporate groups in the world.
The major companies of the group include Mitsui & Co. ( general trading company), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Nippon Paper Industries ...
(28%).
The wind farm is made up of 23 Vestas 2.0 MW
wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
s, together with an underground electrical cable network, access tracks, crane hardstandings, wind monitoring masts and a 33 kV double-circuit distribution line. Each turbine consists of a tower and blades, and so are 107 metres in height to the tip of the blade. These wind turbines rotate at speeds between 9
rpm and 19 rpm, depending on the wind speed. The wind yield in South Australia enables Canunda to produce electricity at a 34 per cent
capacity factor
The net capacity factor is the unitless ratio of actual electrical energy output over a given period of time to the theoretical maximum electrical energy output over that period. The theoretical maximum energy output of a given installation is def ...
, a high yield by global standards.
The wind farm generates enough electricity to supply around 30,000 average South Australian homes. The Canunda Wind Farm distribution line is 16 km long and transports the generated electricity from the wind farm to a nearby substation at
Snuggery. The distribution line traverses mostly roadside verges, avoiding areas of environmental sensitivity along the route.
The Canunda Wind Farm provides a number of benefits to the local and wider community, including clean electricity generation, enhanced agricultural viability of the farms involved and increased diversity of electricity supply for South Australia and the south east in particular. There has also been widespread community interest in the project and site tours have commenced.
[Wind Prospect (undated)]
Wind: Clean, Safe, Australia's Future
The Canunda Wind Farm was opened by the
Premier of South Australia
The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
,
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...
, on 31 March 2005. The project was completed on time and on budget and
Wind Prospect provided engineering support to the owners of the wind farm,
International Power
Engie Energy International, formerly International Power, is a multinational electricity generation company headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the French company Engie (formerly GDF Suez).
The company was fo ...
, during the construction phase. Canunda Wind Farm was International Power's first wind farm globally. It represents a diversification of the company's energy business in Australia.
See also
*
Lake Bonney Wind Farm
Lake Bonney Wind Farm, in South Australia, was built in three stages. Stage 1 comprises 46 turbines each having a rated capacity of 1.75 MW (total 80.5 MW) and was finished in March 2005. Construction of Stage 2 began in November 2006 ...
- Adjoining Wind Farm
*
Wind power in South Australia
Wind power became a significant energy source within South Australia over the first two decades of the 21st century. In 2015, there was an installed capacity of 1,475 MW, which accounted for 34% of electricity production in the state. This acco ...
References
External links
Wind power and wind farms in South Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canunda Wind Farm
Wind farms in South Australia
Limestone Coast