News 2015 – Goldwind Australia

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.

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.
Stage Two of the process involved an Industry Forum in Glen Innes for businesses who register in the first stage.
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.

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.
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.
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.

White Rock Wind Farm

2 July 2015

Goldwind is pleased to announce that TransGrid has agreed to connect White Rock Wind Farm with 70 wind turbines to the NSW transmission system.

“TransGrid has a strong track record with Goldwind, delivering critical connection works on time and within budget” said John Titchen, Managing Director Goldwind Australia.

Goldwind acquired the White Rock Wind Farm project in 2014. The project is located in Northern NSW between Glen Innes and Inverell. Preparations are now underway for the construction phase to commence in late 2015. Goldwind has recently commenced the tender process for key construction contracts. Goldwind will utilise its 2.5MW advanced technology – permanent magnet, direct drive wind turbines with a 121m rotor diameter at White Rock Wind Farm.

In the five and a half years that Goldwind has been operating in Australia there have been two lengthy reviews of the Australian Renewable Energy Target. Last week the Senate passed legislation that removes the two yearly reviews – the five year target is now a very clear target for the renewable energy industry.

“The removal of the 2 yearly review and the return to bipartisan RET support is welcome” said John Titchen. White Rock Wind Farm is planned to be operating by mid-2017 at a time when new supply is needed due to increased demand under the renewable energy target. TransGrid Managing Director Peter McIntyre said lowering the cost of entry for renewable energy generators is a vital step to lowering carbon emissions.

“Australia’s energy sector needs to move towards a low emissions electricity system.”

“TransGrid is well placed to support renewable energy generators such as Goldwind by delivering smarter, more cost effective grid connection” said Mr McIntyre.

Once operating, stage 1 of the White Rock Wind Farm will be large enough to power up to 75,000 average NSW houses.

White Rock Wind Farm

22 May 2015
Goldwind Australia, the owner of the White Rock Wind Farm, welcomes the resolution of negotiations over the Renewable Energy Target, this is very important for the White Rock Wind Farm project.

John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia, said it was significant for the renewables industry that the RET review had been finalised. “The resolution of the Renewable Energy Target review will enable significant investment to flow into the industry and onwards into the local communities where projects are located. We are pressing on with the preparation for construction of White Rock Wind Farm. We will commence tendering for major construction contracts within the next few weeks.”

White Rock Wind Farm is located about 20kms West of Glen Innes in the New England Tablelands. The project has a development approval for up to 119 wind turbines with 70 wind turbines now planned to be built in the first phase.

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 during the 25 year operation phase.

Goldwind Australia purchased the project in October 2014 and subsequently has been consulting with the community and conducting other pre-construction activity including as preparation of the Construction Environmental Management Plan. White Rock Wind Farm is committed to community engagement and long term involvement in the Glen Innes and Inverell communities. Project consultation will further increase as the project moves towards construction.

Overall, preparations for construction of White Rock Wind Farm are progressing well with construction planned to commence in late 2015 or early 2016.

Media Release by National Australia Bank

17 April 2015

Goldwind Australia is one of many local New South Wales companies successfully working with Chinese business, according to a new report launched locally today in Sydney. Commissioned by the Australia China Business Council (ACBC) and sponsored by NAB, the 2014 Australia-China Trade Report is the only report of its kind to provide such a deep analysis of the benefits to Australian households from trade with China.

The research has identified that the Australia-China economic relationship is broader than previously assumed, with considerable new growth opportunities for Australian businesses in agribusiness, manufacturing, real estate, tourism, education and finance and professional services.

Goldwind Australia –the local subsidiary of Goldwind Science and Technology, an international, multi-faceted wind power company – is working cohesively with Chinese counterparts as part of global value chains. As a first-time Chinese investor, Goldwind has managed to integrate in the local Australian job market and benefit from the pool of local talent available to grow its business on Australian shores.

Goldwind operates across the whole value chain of wind energy solutions – from installing wind turbines, to selling and operating wind farms with business partners (including local wind project developers), dealing with international buyers of completed projects and liaising with Australian and Chinese banks to provide long-term finance. Participating in global value chains were a prominent topic in the report, as they have traditionally been difficult for Australian businesses to penetrate.

“The success for Goldwind – and many other businesses in New South Wales – is good news for Australia, as access to global value chains has previously been fairly hard to navigate” said Mr Shane Ditcham, State General Manager, NAB Business.

“By building and maintaining business relationships with China, New South Wales SMEs are finding new avenues to connect them with growing global networks.

“For those thinking about conducting business in China, this report provides a solid foundation from companies who have taken these steps before them, and reaped the rewards”.

Key findings from the report include:
• two-way trade with China per Australian household increased five-fold from A$3,400 in 2009 to A$16,985 in 2013
• direct trade from Australia to China contributes 5.5 per cent to Australian GDP, amounting to $79,150 million
• nearly 200,000 Australian jobs (or one in 58 Australian jobs) is sustained by direct export activities to China
• nearly 90 per cent of Australian firms surveyed describe their two year business outlook with China as optimistic
• 88 per cent of Australian firms surveyed say China is important to their global expansion plans.

About the report:
This year, in preparing the report, the ACBC conducted an exclusive business survey of over 200 Australian firms engaged in Chinese business, predominantly from its membership. The report is supported by case studies from different industries and a new data source, the World Input-Output Database. The 2014 report goes further this year by analysing the impact of Australia-China Trade across industry sectors, including Australia’s integration with global value chains, and the flow-on effects for the Australian economy down to the household level.
The report was prepared thanks to major sponsorship from the National Australia
Bank and seed funding from the Australia China Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT),

See here for a full copy of the report.

For further information:

National Australia Bank
Chris Owens
M: +61 (0) 409 945 476

Bill Kyriakopoulos
M: +61 (0) 429 270 523

Gullen Range Wind Farm

7 April 2015

Gullen Range Wind Farm is holding a Community Open Day on April 18, 10am to 3pm.

The family friendly Open Day, the first at Gullen Range Wind Farm will provide an opportunity for people to meet the GRWF team and experience first-hand how a wind farm that utilises world leading technology operates.

Due to health and safety considerations, access to the Open Day will be by bus only. Complementary buses will leave from the Memorial Park and Oval in Crookwell, with parking available on surrounding streets. The first bus will depart from Memorial Park at 9.30am and return throughout the day.

The wind farm produces enough renewable energy to supply 60,000 homes and deliver significant emissions savings equivalent to over 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gases by 2020.

A Crookwell Lions Club BBQ and light refreshments will be provided. An ice cream van and coffee cart will also be on site. A marquee at the base of a turbine will house displays and provide shelter from the elements.

Kids activities will include face painting and craft. They will also have the chance to rub shoulders with members of the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Services.

A colouring-in competition is open for pre-schoolers, infants (K-2) and primary (3-6). The sheet is available in the Crookwell Gazette on 9th April, on the Gullen Range Wind Farm website and local shops.

There will be information about wind farms including construction equipment and an opportunity for a mini-bus tour of the wind farm.

A competition to name the turbine next to the marquee will be open for entries, with a winner selected following the Open Day. Gullen Range Wind Farm representative Julian King said he was excited about the first Community Open Day.

“The Community Open Day will be educational and fun. People will be able to see close up how the wind farm works and the positive impact it already has, and will continue to provide, for communities in the Upper Lachlan Shire.”

“We are confident an entertaining and educational day will be enjoyed by all,” Gullen Range Wind Farm is committed to supporting the local community over the long term through its Community Enhancement Program.

Late last year Gullen Range Wind Farm provided funds to the Bannister District Hall Association for the purchase of the hall for use as a community facility for the local residents.

The company is also involved in the implementation of a community fund and the Regional Clean Energy Program as well as the rehabilitation of council roads surrounding the project.