As more people become concerned about the different environmental impacts traditional power generation – such as coal and natural gas – can create, investors and developers have recognised the value of renewable energy sources.
Over the past years, Australia has seen a boom in renewable energy infrastructure developments, with wind as one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources in the country. The south-western, southern, and south-eastern regions of Australia have become the ideal locations for some of the country’s biggest wind farm developments.
The list below shows the different wind farm projects currently under construction and nearing construction.
| Project Name | Location | Developer | Capacity | Status |
| Sapphire Wind Farm | near Glen Innes, NSW | CWP Renewables | 270 MW | Under construction; completion second half of 2018 |
| Silverton Wind Farm | Silverton, NSW | AGL, GE, CATCON | 200 MW | Under construction; completion mid-2018 |
| Mount Emerald Wind Farm | Mount Emerald, QLD | Ratch Australia | 180.5 MW | Under construction; completion in 2018 |
| Hornsdale Wind Farm (Stage 3) | near Jamestown, SA | Neoen, Megawatt Capital | 112 MW | Under construction |
| Willogoleche Wind Farm | Willogoleche Hill, SA | ENGIE, GE Australia | 119 MW | Under construction; completion in 2018 |
| Mount Gellibrand Wind Farm | Mount Gellibrand, VIC | Acciona | 132 MW | Under construction; completion July 2018 |
| Salt Creek Wind Farm | near Mortlake, VIC | Tilt Renewables | 54 MW | Under construction; completion mid-2018 |
| Yaloak South Wind Farm | near Ballan, VIC | Pacific Hydro | 28.7 MW | Under construction; completion early 2018 |
| Crookwell 2 Wind Farm | near Goulburn, NSW | Global Power Generation Australia | 91 MW | Under construction; completion mid-2018 |
| Crudine Ridge Wind Farm | near Pyramul, NSW | Wind Prospect CWP | 135 MW | Approved; construction to begin in late 2017 |
| Coppabella Wind Farm | near Yass, NSW | Goldwind | Approved; pre-construction | |
| Coopers Gap Wind Farm | near Cooranga North, QLD | AGL Energy | 453 MW | Approved; set for construction |
| Kennedy Energy Park (hybrid wind, solar, battery storage) | near Hughenden, QLD | Windlab | 21.6 MW | Under construction; completion late 2018 |
| Stockyard Hill Wind Farm | near Ballarat, VIC | Goldwind | 530 MW | To commence construction in early 2018 |
| Bodangora Wind Farm | near Wellington, NSW | Infigen Energy | 113.2 MW | Under construction; completion second half of 2018 |
| Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park (hybrid wind, solar and battery storage) | Port Augusta, SA | DP Energy | 220 MW | To commence construction in Q2 2018 |
Construction of a wind farm can take a few months to approximately over a year, depending on the size of the project. With the surge in the number of wind farm developments in the country, the construction industry has become more innovative in the ways they work on these projects.
Force One Australia has recently shared with us a technology they’ve developed to help fast-track the excavation on wind farm projects. You can read about their case study here.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Wind Farms in Australia or your experiences on any renewable energy projects. Just leave a comment below!