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White Rock Wind Farm

14 October 2016

The first shipment of wind turbines destined for White Rock Wind Farm are due to arrive overnight at the Port of Newcastle, NSW. The shipment, consisting of 8 complete Goldwind 2.5 MW Wind Turbine Generators includes the biggest wind turbine blades to arrive in Australia to date. The 59.5m long blades were manufactured for Goldwind by Sinomatech Wind Power Blade Company.

“The 59.5m long wind turbine blades at White Rock Wind Farm will result in strong wind farm performance. Longer blades result in more energy being captured by the wind turbines. Roads and foundations are now being prepared at site ready for wind turbine installation.” said John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia.

The blades and other turbine components will be stored temporarily at Newcastle Port and then transported more than 500km by road to White Rock Wind Farm by the specialist logistics company, Rex J Andrew Pty Ltd. This family owned and operated company was established in 1989 and has experience transporting wind turbine components for wind farm projects across NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

700 oversize loads of turbine components will be delivered from Newcastle, via the New England Highway to White Rock Wind Farm. It is planned to commence transportation in late November and continue into 2017.

“We will be actively engaging with communities that are located alongside the haulage route in the lead up to the commencement of transportation of turbine components. Rex J Andrews has carefully considered the best possible route for oversize and over mass deliveries to site and we will be working closely and carefully with the local community to minimise any impacts” said John.

White Rock Solar Farm

8 September 2016

White Rock Solar Farm is one of twelve projects to be awarded a grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) large-scale solar competitive funding round.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said “ARENA had been a driving force in bringing down costs and accelerating the commerciality of large-scale solar in Australia and has carried out a multiyear plan to build capacity in Australian supply chains and expertise over successive projects.”

John Titchen, Managing Director at Goldwind Australia, said “Goldwind Australia is very pleased that White Rock Solar has been selected by ARENA through their very competitive and professional selection process. ARENA plays an important role in driving innovation in the renewable energy industry. White Rock Solar is to be located in the New England Tablelands of NSW adjacent to White Rock Wind Farm which is currently under construction and already providing significant local economic benefits. We are work closely with the community and really appreciate community support for these projects. Both projects will contribute to meeting Australia’s renewable energy target.”

White Rock Solar Farm is planned to be a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant located adjacent to the northern end of White Rock Wind Farm, 18 km west of Glen Innes. The development is a pioneering hybrid solar/wind renewable energy facility for the New England Tablelands. It is expected to generate around 46,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in the first year of operation, enough to supply the equivalent of approximately 7,200 average NSW homes. The project is an investment of $45M with $6M expected to come from this grant.

In response to the ARENA large scale solar program, the project was accelerated and the development consent was secured in mid-June 2016. With the award of the ARENA grant, the project can now look towards commencing construction in early 2017 and being fully operational by the end of 2017.

White Rock Solar Farm is designed to benefit from sharing part of the wind farm infrastructure, including the grid connection, access tracks and some internal electrical cabling. The opportunity to share wind farm infrastructure maximises the use of available facilities without requiring construction of additional facilities elsewhere and co-location of the project potentially unlocks over $5 million of savings.

Gullen Solar Farm

25 July 2016

Goldwind Australia and New Gullen Range Wind Farm would like to jointly announce that Gullen Solar Farm achieved the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) Financial Close Milestone on the 15th July 2016.

This means that the key prerequisites for ARENA funding to be committed have been met. Full Project Financial Close is expected to be reached in the coming weeks. This next step in the development of Gullen Solar Farm follows the award of the grant in July 2014 and planning consent that was approved on 22 June 2016. Construction is expected to commence in October 2016 with the project fully operational by June 2017.

Gullen Solar Farm will be a 10 MW AC solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant co-located on the Gullen Range Wind Farm, 16 km South West of Crookwell. The development is a pioneering hybrid solar/wind renewable energy facility for Australia. Gullen Solar Farm is designed to benefit from sharing part of the wind farm infrastructure, including the substation, grid connection and access tracks. The opportunity to share wind farm infrastructure maximises the use of available facilities without requiring construction of additional facilities elsewhere. Colocation of the project is assessed to unlock $6 million of savings. Furthermore these two forms of renewable energy complement each other well with this windfarm generating more during winter and the solar farm more during the summer.

The project is expected to generate around 22,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in the first year of operation, enough to supply the equivalent of approximately 3,100 average NSW homes. The solar farm is initially planned to sell its power without a Power Purchase Agreement.

The solar farm requires a total investment of $26M. The project has been developed to date by Goldwind Australia but will be sold to New Gullen Range Wind Farm prior to Project Financial Close. Goldwind Australia will remain a key project partner. The main engineering, procurement and construction contract is proposed to be awarded to a partnership of Balance Utility Solutions Pty Ltd & Decmil Australia Pty Ltd. The project expects to employ up to 70 people on site at its peak and is looking to maximise local labour and suppliers for the project.

The funding consists of an investment of $6M from the windfarm, total bank finance of $10M, which is equally split between the finance arrangers National Australia Bank (NAB) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and an ARENA grant of $10M.

John Gardner, VP Program at Goldwind Australia, said “This demonstration project is an important step for the colocation of Wind and Solar, which has never been done before in Australia at this scale. The majority shareholder in the Gullen Range Wind Farm, Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy commented “We are proud to be pushing into this exciting area with the assistance of Goldwind Australia.”

Goldwind Australia

22 June 2016

Goldwind welcomes the recent release of the preliminary report into the feasibility of a second Tasmanian interconnector by the Hon Warwick Smith AM.

As a wind power company, Goldwind is actively working to develop the latent potential of Tasmania’s wind projects. A second Tasmanian interconnector will allow more wind projects to be built in Tasmania and bring greater energy benefits to the National Electricity Market.

The $350m Cattle Hill Wind Farm in the central highlands of Tasmania is one project that will benefit from greater interconnectivity. Subject to achieving financial close, Cattle Hill Wind Farm is planning to install Goldwind permanent magnet direct drive turbines. The project is expected to employ over 150 staff during construction and have up to 15 permanent Goldwind maintenance staff. Whilst Cattle Hill is one of the most advanced projects in Tasmania, independent analysis shows that many other Tasmanian projects could be realised with a second interconnector to the mainland.

Goldwind is pleased to work with state and federal governments to unleash Tasmania’s renewable energy and economic potential.

White Rock Wind Farm

8 April 2016

Goldwind and CECEP Wind-Power Corporation (CECWPC) are pleased to announce that White Rock Wind Farm construction will start on site late in April 2016.

White Rock Wind Farm is located West of Glen Innes in the New England/Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. CECWPC will purchase a 75% interest in White Rock Wind Farm with Goldwind retaining a 25% interest.

Li Shusheng, Chairman of the Board of CECWPC said “CECWPC is very pleased to have secured this opportunity to enter the Australian renewable energy market. The 175MW White Rock Wind Farm will be larger than any currently operating Wind Farm in NSW. The approvals, connection agreement and construction contracts are in place. The CECWPC and Goldwind investment will now enable construction to proceed.”

”The investment in White Rock Wind Farm is being made on the basis of the Australian Government’s legislated Renewable Energy Target. The clear support for this Law by the Australian Government and the Opposition has been an important factor in making this investment commitment. Goldwind will construct the 175MW White Rock Wind Farm utilising 70 of our advanced technology 2.5MW wind turbines. Goldwind and CECEPWC will work closely and carefully with the local community during the construction and subsequent operation of this significant wind farm.” said John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia.
Goldwind Australia will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to the project as well as Warranty Operations and Maintenance during the operations period.

TransGrid is engaged to establish the connection to the 132kV transmission system and construct a 132kV transmission line and substation on the project site. Fulton Hogan have been appointed to perform the main wind farm civil and electrical works as well as public road works associated with the project.

Once operating, White Rock Wind Farm will produce sufficient clean renewable energy to power approximately 75,000 homes and the project investment will exceed $400 million.

The White Rock project represents a significant investment for the Glen Innes and Inverell area. Up to 200 people are expected to be involved during construction of the project and a 10-15 local service team will be needed once the wind farm is operating.

About CECWPC

China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group Wind-Power Corporation (CECWPC) is majority owned by the China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP) which is China’s largest technology-based service group in the field of energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection. CECWPC was founded in 2006 and listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2014, specialising in development, investment, management, construction and operation & maintenance of wind
power projects.

White Rock Solar Farm

14 January 2016

Goldwind Australia are proposing a 20MW solar development adjacent to the White Rock Wind Farm.

The development is planned to form a pioneering hybrid solar/wind renewable energy facility in the New England Tablelands. The proposed project has been shortlisted in the ARENA Advancing Renewables Programme, Largescale Solar Competitive Round.

The development is planned to comprise installation of a solar farm of approximately 20MW. Significant infrastructure is proposed to be shared with the wind farm, including the grid connection, access tracks and some internal electrical cabling. The potential for the solar farm to share infrastructure with the wind farm maximises the use of available facilities without requiring construction of additional facilities elsewhere. Colocation of the project potentially unlocks over $5 million of savings.

It is anticipated that around 46,000 megawatt hours (MWh) would be generated by the scheme each year, which is sufficient to power 6,300 NSW homes annually. Through use of local suppliers and contractors, the project would bring additional investment in the local economy in conjunction with White Rock Wind Farm.

The project is in early stages of development, with a number of sites adjacent to the wind farm under consideration. It is anticipated that approximately 50 hectares would be required by the solar infrastructure. The final site will be determined prior to submission of a Development Application, which is expected in the first quarter of 2016.

Environmental surveys are underway, and the results will inform the detailed design and impact assessment. The Development Application for the project will be submitted to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure along with supporting documents. The local councils and community will be consulted throughout the development process and kept informed of progress.

Assuming all necessary approvals are secured, construction of the solar farm is planned to start in early 2017.

The ARENA Large-scale Solar Competitive Round aims to support further cost reduction in large-scale photovoltaics (PV). ARENA has allocated $100 million in funding to support large-scale solar PV projects selected through the round. As a short listed project, White Rock Solar Farm will continue development activities and in tandem progress to the next stage of the ARENA application process.

Wind and solar generation are well matched based on the different sources of energy and generation throughout daily and yearly cycles.

John Gardner, Vice President Program at Goldwind Australia, said: “We are pleased to announce the proposal for a solar project at White Rock, which represents an innovative approach to hybrid renewable energy generation. We are looking forward to working with stakeholders, landowners and the community to further this exciting opportunity”.

 

White Rock Wind Farm

15 December 2015

Over 60 representatives from local businesses attended a supplier information briefing in Glen Innes on the 15 December. The event was hosted by White Rock Wind Farm, in partnership with the NSW Department of Industry and the Industry Capability Network (ICN).

Attendees heard from project owners, White Rock Wind Farm, and from some of the main contractors for the works. Goldwind Australia are lined up to undertake the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts. The Balance of Plant contract has been awarded to Fulton Hogan, an engineering firm with over 80 years of experience in the transport, mining, energy and water sectors. The briefing formed Stage Two of the Local Business Participation Program. The Program is designed to ensure local businesses are well informed about the project and have the opportunity to participate and benefit from the project.

Local suppliers who had registered their interest via the Industry Capability Network (ICN) Gateway website were invited to attend the briefing to hear an update on project status and learn more about the available work packages. The forum also covered the process of bidding for contracts or supply opportunities with the major contractors and subcontractors.

The initial development of White Rock Wind Farm will consist of 70 turbines and associated infrastructure. It is expected to inject in the vicinity of $30 to $40 million into the local economy during construction. The project is expected to involve up to 200 jobs during construction and 10-15 local jobs during the 20 year operational period of the project. Construction is anticipated to commence in early 2016.

White Rock Wind Farm has adopted a three stage process to maximise local participation and local economic benefits. This process involves the Industry Capability Network (ICN), the NSW Department of Industry and local business groups.

1. Under Stage One of the Local Business Participation Program, White Rock Wind Farm sought expressions of interest for nearly 40 different work packages. The project has been listed on the ICN Gateway and companies with an ABN are encouraged to register their interest via the ICN website. The Gateway will be open till the 20th December 2015. The details of all companies that registered their interest during Stage One will be provided to the Main Contractors and Major Subcontractors.
2. Stage Two of the process involved an Industry Forum in Glen Innes for businesses who register in the first stage.
3. Stage Three is the engagement stage where the Main Contractor and / or Subcontractors engage suppliers and subcontractors. Stage Three spans the full period of the project design and construction and the transition into the operations phase.

John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia (owner of White Rock Wind Farm), said “The Local
Industry Briefing was an excellent event and we were encouraged by the range of businesses and suppliers
interested in the project. As owners of White Rock Wind Farm we aim to create significant local benefit by
facilitating local companies to participate throughout the 18 month construction period and by establishing a
local team for the long term operation phase.”

White Rock Wind Farm

6 November 2015

White Rock Wind Farm is seeking expressions of interest from community representatives to serve on the Community Consultative Committee.

The Community Consultative Committee (CCC) provides an important forum for open discussion between representatives of White Rock Wind Farm, the local and nearby communities, local councils and other interested stakeholders. It provides a way for the Project Team to give regular updates on wind farm activities, invite discussion and pro-actively respond to any questions or concerns of the community.

The CCC would like to increase the number of community representatives currently on the committee and is looking for local volunteers to join the group. Meetings are held on a weekday every 2-3 months in Glen Innes. Final appointment of the representatives will be made by the NSW Department for Planning and Environment.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 20th November 2015. Interested members of the community should contact WRWF on info@whiterockwindfarm.com, call 1800 859660 or write to WRWF, Level 23, 201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.

Throughout the development of the project a Community Consultative Committee has regularly met in Glen Innes. The CCC currently has a Chair, two representatives from the local community, two representatives from host landowners and a Council representative from each of Glen Innes Severn and Inverell Shire Councils.

The CCC has been crucial in ensuring positive engagement between the local community and the project owners, allowing the Project Team to remain closely connected with community views.

Ideally, community representatives should be able to provide feedback to their local community and associated stakeholder groups. They should be willing to contribute constructively to the committee and be able to meet on a regular basis (every 2-3 months). The CCC will give preference to volunteers who currently reside in the local area and/or those with good awareness of local and other relevant matters.

Steve Toms, Chair of the Committee said “White Rock Wind Farm is a significant development for the area and the committee plays a critical role in representing the interests of the community potentially affected by this development.”

Further guidance on the operation of a CCC can be found in the Draft NSW Planning Guidelines for Wind Farms (Dec 2011) available on the Department’s website http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au. Previous minutes of the CCC can be found on www.whiterockwindfarm.com.

Gullen Range Wind Farm

16 September 2015

The NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) has approved the modification application for approval of the ‘as built’ wind farm layout. This decision is conclusive and follows a lengthy and thorough process. Some modifications and additions to Project Approval conditions were made by PAC. These requirements will be adopted by the project.

Gullen Range Wind Farm has always maintained that the project, as constructed, was consistent with the original Project Approval and that no modification was required. However, in the spirit of cooperation, Gullen Range Wind Farm lodged the modification application. The determination of the modification application puts this matter beyond doubt. Since becoming fully operational in December 2014, Gullen Range Wind Farm has been operating well and much has been achieved:

• 311 GWh of renewable energy has been produced in the first 8 months of 2015
•  Safety performance has been excellent
• A successful community open day was held on 18 April 2015
• The Bannister Hall was donated to the community as a facility for community meetings and
  as a Rural Fire Service coordination point
•  The community fund and associated clean energy program commenced
• Operational Noise Monitoring was successfully completed, demonstrating that the project
  complies with operational noise conditions contained in the Project Approval
• Road rehabilitation was completed
• The Landscape Plan has been substantially implemented
• An $80,000 contribution was committed towards a new TV tower in Crookwell. We welcome the subsequent commitment by the Australian Government to fund the tower. We will consult with the community on the best way to apply the funds committed by Gullen Range Wind Farm.

A Community Consultative Committee will now be established to provide a forum for open discussion between representatives of Gullen Range Wind Farm, the community, the council and other stakeholders on issues directly relating to the wind farm, its environment performance and community relations, keep the community informed about these matters. This will be in addition to
regular project newsletters, annual open days and email/phone/website communication channels.

White Rock Wind Farm

14 September 2015

White Rock Wind Farm is launching a Local Business Participation Program to maximise opportunities for local suppliers to participate in the project.

White Rock Wind Farm has adopted a three stage process to maximise local participation and local economic benefits. This process involves the Industry Capability Network (ICN), the NSW Department of Industry and local business groups.

1. Under the first stage of the Local Business Participation Program White Rock Wind Farm are seeking expressions of interest for nearly 40 different work packages ranging from concrete supply to waste collection and water carting services. The project has been listed on ICN Gateway and companies with an ABN are encouraged to register their interest via the ICN website. Once the Main Contractor and Major Subcontractors has been appointed, the details of all companies that registered their interest during Stage One will be provided to the Main Contractors and Major Subcontractors.
2. Stage Two of the process will involve an Industry Forum in Glen Innes for businesses who register in the first stage. The forum will provide local businesses with additional information about the available work packages and the process of bidding for subcontracting or supply opportunities with the major subcontractors. The forum is planned to take place in late November 2015.
3. Stage Three, is the engagement stage where the Main Contractor or Major Subcontractors engage suppliers and subcontractors. Stage Three spans the full period of the project design and construction and the transition into the operations phase. The initial development of White Rock Wind Farm will consist of 70 turbines and associated infrastructure. It is expected to inject in the vicinity of $30 to $40 million into the local economy during construction. The project is expected to involve up to 200 jobs during construction and 10-15 local jobs during the 20 year operational period of the project.

John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia (owner of White Rock Wind Farm), said “We aim to create significant local benefit from the White Rock Wind Farm by offering local companies the opportunity to participate throughout the 18 month construction period and by establishing a local team for the long term operation phase. We are excited about the opportunity for local businesses to contribute to the construction of White Rock Wind Farm. Our Local Business Participation Program aims to provide direct benefits to the local community so that together we can deliver a high quality renewable energy project.”

White Rock Wind Farm aims to be a well-integrated and valued project for the community over its lifetime. The Project is designed to maximising opportunities for local suppliers – accessing local capability is an important feature of the project plan. The Local Business Participation Process is designed to ensure local businesses are well informed about the project and have the opportunity to participate and benefit from the project.