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By HARRY CLARKE
THE first turbine foundation has been poured at the construction site of the $2 billion MacIntyre Wind Precinct, 60km west of Warwick on Queensland’s Southern Downs.
After three months of earthworks and ground preparation, concrete has begun to pour for 180 foundations that will support some of the most powerful onshore wind turbines in the world.
Once completed the MacIntyre Wind Precinct will be the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, generating 1,026MW of renewable electricity – enough power 700,000 homes.
Brett Wickham, managing director of ACCIONA Energía, said construction was proceeding “at full steam”, creating nearly 700 jobs and supporting “hundreds” of local businesses.
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“We’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from the local community as we build this transformational project,” Wickham (pictured) said.
“We’ve committed to procuring as much work as possible from local businesses so that the benefits are felt right throughout the community.”
He said the project was procuring $500 million in work from Queensland businesses for services including earthworks, transport, accommodation and engineering.
The “precinct” project will be made up of two wind farms – the 18 turbine Karara Wind Farm owned and operated by state-owned enterprise CleanCo, and the 162 turbine MacIntyre Wind Farm owned and operated by ACCIONA Energía.
CleanCo has a power purchase agreement for 400MW of the energy to be produced at the MacIntyre Wind Farm.
“This very significant project, the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, will be vital to CleanCo growing its renewable portfolio and supporting the Queensland Government’s net zero goals,” CEO Tom Metcalfe said.
This year more than $100,000 has been awarded to 25 local organisations under ACCIONA’s Community Sponsorship program, aimed to support of projects that promote sustainable development, health and education or help address social disadvantage.
One of this year’s recipients, the Rural Doctors Foundation, was awarded $10,000 to purchase additional medihoods for local hospitals to protect healthcare workers against the spread of COVID19 and other infectious diseases.
“Rural Doctors Foundation covers rural and remote communities to help them improve their health,” Rural Doctors Foundation CEO Fran Avon (pictured) said..
“Thanks to the generosity of ACCIONA Energia we were able to provide Medihoods to the hospitals in Warwick and Millmerran.”
“These devices help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, which is especially important in smaller rural healthcare facilities where the absence of a doctor or nurse due to illness could mean the closure of the hospital service.”
Applications for the 2023 sponsorship program will open in February.