Conpower

Queensland’s largest Wind Farm soars with Consolidated Power Projects’ expertise.

Amongst the jagged terrain of Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands sits the states largest wind farm, powered by Ratch Corporation Australia. The impressive wind farm was built by engineering, construction, and procurement (EPC) contractor Vestas together with major subcontractor, Consolidated Power Projects (CPP). The farm, which was established in 2017 and completed in early 2019, comprises of 53 wind turbines, amounting to an impressive 180.5MW capacity that can power around 75,000 homes on average per year. 

The wind farm can generate 500kW of renewable electricity per year, for its predicted 25-year life span, with two different wind turbines in operation. The first has 3.45MW capacity, with the blades measuring 148 metres, from tip to end – 37 of these were installed. 16 of the 3.3MW capacity turbines were also installed, measuring a height of 140 metres, from tip to end.

Leon Du Preez, engineering manager at CPP, advised that the company played a vital role in various aspects of the project. “CPP engineering were involved in the electrical, civil and structural design for the electrical balance of plant supply scope.”

The project didn’t come without its challenges. The Mount Emerald site features rough and rocky terrain, with steep gradients. It was previously used as a military training base during World War II, including a live fire training area. As a result, grenades and mortars presented a significant safety hazard. Specialised consultants were employed to identify and safely remove any remaining UXOs or exploded/remnant items. 

Mr. Du Preez advised that there were many environmental risks that had to be taken into consideration when designing the wind farm. “The Mount Emerald substation is located on the Atherton Tablelands, an area prone to cyclonic activities, located on granite rich rock, with significant termite activities present. CPP designed it considering the demands presented by a Cyclonic Region, as well as the granite rich rock formations.”

Less than 3% of the site was able to be utilised due to its strict environmental regulations, and endangered species. An environmental team were employed to inspect the grounds and determine which zones were safe for construction. The wind farm is located away from Northern Quoll habitats (which are currently endangered), with some turbines removed from the most protruding ridgelines to minimise visual and cultural heritage effects. Despite the removal, there are still enough turbines to allow for the windfarm to generate a significant amount of renewable energy.  

The completion of the project also saw 35km of new site roads constructed, to facilitate the transportation of the turbines to the site location from Cairns, and for various other maintenance requirements. A control room and substation were also constructed to connect the power generated from the wind farm to the national electricity market for local use. 

Mr. Du Preez summarised the impact of the project on the local community. “The impact on the community was limited as the substation was in total located on one single landowner property. A greater ratio of re-vegetation was implemented elsewhere to offset the area cleared by the development of the Wind Farm. That being said, there was significant investment in the local community such as accommodation, local suppliers for services and goods during construction of the Wind Farm. Employment opportunities were also created for the local community for the duration of the Wind Farm’s existence, specifically to maintenance providers which is a good thing overall.”

The wind farm continues to be in operation, and Ratch Corporation Australia has invested more than $1.5m into the communities they operate in since its opening in 2019. Those funds have been used to renovate local clubs and supply the community with wheelchair access to the local hall, new fencing, shade and lights for the oval, and offer programs to the local school.