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 28 Turbines up, 100 more to go 

28 Turbines up, 100 more to go

16/05/2008 1:20:00 AM
CHANCES are you've seen many turbines going up on the hills north-west of Ballarat.

This week, the 28th turbine was erected at Waubra Wind Farm, with 100 more to go.

Already, the locals are planning a festival to mark the wind farm's opening next year.

Works are going well according to Acciona Energy construction manager Bruce Payne, but have depended on the weather.

"During March and April, it was unseasonably windy, which posed the biggest challenge to the works,'' Mr Payne said.

This hasn't stopped works developing rapidly, as the farm extends across a 160km radius, encompassing the outskirts of Learmonth and Evansford.

Local businesses are also happy.

The works have brought more trading to Waubra, with the local store even extending its trading hours.

Currently, the electrical and cabling works are being installed at various sites.

Five sub-stations are being built, with underground cabling works 40 per cent complete.

More than 120km of cabling is needed for the project, and has been engineered to maximise the electrical current.

Mr Payne said cabling had been laid almost a metre underground, so it wouldn't interfere with local farming operations.

Laid along with the cabling will be a system providing real-time data to the maintenance facility, detailing wind speed at the turbines, its direction and what electricity is being produced.

Meanwhile, works on the Harrisons Rd maintenance facility are expected to be completed in three months.

The facility is being built using sustainable materials.

It will be fully powered with wind energy, be solar heated and use water recycling.

Mr Payne said the next task was to get all the substations completed and turbines erected, ready for connection to the grid early next year.

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Comments


What a waste of taxpayers' money. Do some real research on wind turbines and tell the public the truth.
Posted by pete on 16/05/2008 8:52:21 AM
What great news for the environment and the local economy. Well done. No wars over this energy!
Posted by Sam D on 16/05/2008 12:21:38 PM
Pete, Why don't you tell us the 'real research' on wind turbines that you know about.
Posted by kathy on 19/05/2008 3:36:29 PM
This development is good for the Ballarat region and good for the Earth. I am watching its progress with interest.
Posted by Dave on 20/05/2008 6:39:02 AM
Sonja, more information.
Posted by Margi Cousins on 23/05/2008 10:28:04 AM
What do you mean by 'real research' on wind turbines? The premium paid by Retailers in Australia is equal to the cost of 'cleaning' other technology's waste. If this is not the case, the Federal Goverment should review and adjust it accordingly.
Posted by MARCO POLO on 28/05/2008 4:07:17 AM
Great to see this project going ahead. Hope to see the same at Lal Lal in the near future.
Posted by simo on 26/06/2008 1:37:14 AM
1

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NEXT STAGE: This week, the 28th turbine was erected at Waubra Wind Farm, with 100 more to go.
NEXT STAGE: This week, the 28th turbine was erected at Waubra Wind Farm, with 100 more to go.

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