Acciona Energía has announced that the first 27 wind turbines at the Macintyre wind farm, in Queensland (Australia), have been connected to the grid and have begun to produce renewable electricity, now adding an installed and operational capacity of 154 MW.
The company has reported in a press release that the park will reach its total capacity progressively over the next twelve months, since Large projects such as Macintyre (923 MW) are built and launched gradually, as phases are completed.
The construction of this wind farm, which Acciona has stated that it will be the largest in the southern hemisphere once completed, has generated hundreds of jobs and has “significantly” stimulated the local economy.
On average, between 400 and 500 people have worked on the project during this construction phase, with more than a thousand workers employed at its peak, as the company has assured.
Acciona Energía’s wind power
The MacIntyre wind farm will consist of 162 state-of-the-art Nordex Delta4000 turbines, each with a capacity of 5.7 MW.
The power produced will be supplied through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to Queensland’s public power generator, Stanwell Corporation, and the Queensland public electricity company. QueenslandCleanCo, contributing to decarbonize the activity of large companies and sectors such as infrastructure, resources, retail and transport.
Besides, Ark Energy, Korea Zinc’s Australian subsidiary and owner of a 30% stake in the project, plans to use part of the generation to decarbonize its sister company Sun Metals Corporation and its Townsville refinery, thus supporting Sun Metals’ plans to be the first producer global green zinc.
The MacIntyre Wind Farm is part of the 2 GW MacIntyre Wind Complex, which also includes the Herries Range wind farm (1,000 MW), under development. Once completed, they will almost double the amount of wind energy generated in Queensland.
