Spain’s ACCIONA Energía is planning to build what will be the largest wind farm outside of China in Western Australia.
The company’s proposed A$1 billion Bellwether wind farm will be located 170 kilometres southeast of Perth. Comprising 400 wind turbines across 100,000 hectares, it will have the capacity to generate 3 GW of power.
The project is expected to create 400 long-term construction jobs and over 100 ongoing full-time roles during operation.
ACCIONA Energía says the project would provide incomes to farmers and support local towns with new business opportunities. The project would also support local community members to retrain or re-skill so they can work in the wind sector.
The company is currently engaging the broader community. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.
A major investor in Australian renewables
ACCIONA Energía is a major international investor in Australia’s renewable energy sector. The company is the biggest global operator dedicated to renewable energies, with no links or legacy related to fossil-fuel technologies.
Aside from the Bellwether wind farm, ACCIONA Energía has 12 active and proposed projects in Australia, including 9 wind farms. The company has a total installed wind capacity of 600 MW.
ACCIONA Energía is currently constructing the MacIntyre Wind Farm in Queensland. The initial 27 wind turbines of the wind farm have been connected to the grid, generating the project’s first renewable electricity. The wind farm will progressively reach full capacity over the next 12 months
The company has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with 2 Queensland organisations. It will supply energy to publicly owned energy generator Stanwell Corporation, and to public electricity company CleanCo. This will help decarbonise large businesses and the infrastructure, resources, retail and transport sectors.
Ark Energy is an Australian subsidiary of Korea Zinc and owns a 30% stake in the project. It is planning to use some of the generation from its share in the MacIntyre Wind Farm to decarbonise sister company Sun Metals Corporation and its refinery in Townsville. This will support Sun Metals’ plans to be the world’s first producer of green zinc.
ACCIONA Energía has 12 active and proposed projects in Australia, including 9 wind farms.
Australia’s renewable energy opportunities
Australia is investing in utility-scale solar, onshore and offshore wind projects and working on a growing pipeline of energy storage and transmission projects to grow generation capacity. There is a range of incentives and grants available for investors, including the Capacity Investment Scheme.
In addition to ACCIONA Energía, other renewable energy investors in Australia include European Energy, Neoen and TagEnergy. TagEnergy owns 85% of Golden Plains Wind Farm – East. The 1.3 GW wind farm started supplying power to the grid in early October 2024.
More about the renewable energy sector
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