Local community watches final wind turbine components arrive at White Rock Wind Farm

White Rock Wind Farm

25 August 2017

Today, the local community of Ben Lomond gathered at the Ben Lomond War Memorial Hall to watch the arrival of the final wind turbine components for White Rock Wind Farm.

The tower component was the last of seven hundred loads that have been transported to White Rock Wind Farm. Transportation of the wind turbine components commenced in December last year and was marked with a community event in Glen Innes attended by Adam Marshall MP, Member for Northern Tablelands and several hundred community members and local school students.

Adam Marshall MP, Member for Northern Tablelands said the arrival of the last shipment marked a momentous day for energy generation in the region.

‘The community and I have been watching with fascination as each massive shipment snaked its way along the New England Highway – with the arrival of the last load, we can see this great project finalised. The White Rock Wind Farm will be a major contributor to the Northern Tablelands’ goal to become a net exporter of energy; a milestone that solidifies our region as both a hub of innovation and a hotspot for renewable technology,” Mr Marshall said.

John Gardner, Vice President of Program of Goldwind said today’s event was organised to thank the local community for their support of the project and show first-hand the size and scale of the turbines being installed at the wind farm.

‘We really appreciate the patience and understanding of the communities along the delivery route, in particular the community of Ben Lomond who experienced the inconvenience of slow moving wide loads which no doubt had an impact on the daily routines of many in the community over the last three months. I’d also like to acknowledge our contractors Blue Water Shipping and Rex Andrews Transport for their efforts in safely delivering all the turbine components.’

Construction of White Rock Wind Farm commenced in May 2016. More than three quarters of the wind turbines have now been installed. Construction work is now focused on installation of the remaining wind turbines and associated commissioning work, as well as rehabilitation of the site area.

‘The arrival of the final load is a key project milestone. In early July, the first turbines were connected to TransGrid’s network and started producing electricity. This means that the wind farm is already  producing renewable energy. More turbines are being commissioned each week and we are progressing well towards the project becoming fully operational by the end of the year. ’ said John.

Once fully operational, the 175 MW White Rock Wind Farm will produce sufficient clean renewable energy to power approximately 75,000 homes, more than all the houses in the New England area.