The 157-MW Kaban wind farm in Queensland’s Far North region has officially connected to the state’s new SuperGrid.
With 16 of the project's 28 turbines being energized now, the connection of the wind farm marks the beginning of the SuperGrid's construction, said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, as she powered up the plant along with other state government leaders.
The A$373 million ($241 million) wind farm makes up the Kaban Green Power Hub, which is a part of the Northern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone. Developed by France's Neoen SA (EPA:NEOEN), the hub has signed a 15-year offtake deal with green energy utility CleanCo, which owns 100% of the output from the wind farm.
Once complete, the wind farm will generate 460,000 MWh of clean energy a year, enough to power up to 100,000 homes.
“The Kaban Green Power Hub being energised via Powerlink’s Tumoulin Switching Station means clean energy is being injected into the new Queensland SuperGrid,” Palaszczuk said.
The SuperGrid is part of the A$62-billion ($40.2 billion) Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan announced by the Premier last week. The state aims to build a renewables-based SuperGrid and cut reliance on coal-fired power generation by 2035.
The state’s Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said that the government is investing A$700 million ($450 million) in North Queensland’s transmission network over the next five years, which will unlock an additional 500 MW of renewables capacity in the region.
