The Golden Plains Wind Farm project, valued at $2.7 billion, is set to commence commercial operations in 2027 with a total generation capacity of 1.3 GW.
Australia aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and has laid out significant plans to phase out fossil fuels. While many countries are heavily investing in offshore wind farms, Australia is focusing on onshore wind technology. The turbines used for onshore wind farms are much smaller, thus generating less energy with each rotation of the blades.
The first phase of the Golden Plains Wind Farm commenced in early 2023. (Photo: Golden Plains Wind Farm).
However, Australia continues to utilize smaller capacity technology to construct the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere. The wind farm, named Golden Plains, has recently entered its second phase of construction, as reported by Interesting Engineering on June 19. Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas will supply the turbines for this phase.
The Golden Plains Wind Farm is located in Golden Plains Shire, Victoria, Australia. It serves as an alternative to the Yallourn coal power plant, which has a capacity of 1,480 MW and is scheduled to close in 2028. The $2.7 billion project is being developed by TagEnergy.
The construction of Golden Plains began in 2023 and is divided into two phases. In the first phase, the farm will have a generation capacity of 756 MW, utilizing Vestas V162-6.2 MW turbines. The second phase will involve the installation of an additional 93 turbines of the same capacity, increasing the total generation capacity by 577 MW. Overall, the wind farm will have an approximate capacity of 1.3 GW.
When the second phase enters commercial operation, expected in 2027, Golden Plains will generate 4,500 GWh of electricity annually, meeting 8% of Victoria’s demand. “This super project significantly improves Victoria’s energy security, reduces pressure on electricity costs, and greatly decreases carbon pollution. Together with our partners, we are accelerating the energy transition,” said Andrew Riggs, a manager at TagEnergy.
