A wind farm with up to 56 turbines is set to be built near Dulacca after the project was today given the green light by the state government.
The Renewable Energy Systems $450 million wind farm project has been granted development approval for its Dulacca Wind Farm.
The project will include up to 56 wind turbines, battery storage and associated infrastructure, located 7 kilometres east of Dulacca. The project will connect into the existing transmission network located adjacent to the project.
RES project development manager Llion Parry said the development approval was a significant milestone for the project.
"The project will make a significant contribution to the Queensland Government’s target of reaching 50% of electricity generated from renewable energy by 2030,” he said.
"When constructed, the project is expected generate enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 150,000 homes.
"It will create around 400 jobs during its construction, and a further 35 during the 30 year operation of the wind farm, alongside other associated economic benefits for the region."
A community fund for local good causes will be established, with a value of $1.25m over the project's lifetime.
The wind farm will be located on agricultural land, with RES entering a lease agreement with the landholder.
Mr Parry said the company planned to start building the wind farm in 2020, to start operating in 2021.
“The site for the wind farm was chosen due to its excellent wind resource, proximity to the transmission network, and low environmental impact," he said.
The project is expected to provide about 400 construction jobs and 35 ongoing jobs.
State development minister Cameron Dick said the wind farm would produce around 240 megawatts of power for the Western Downs.
“Our government is invested in strengthening regional economies,” he said.
“This project will help with the continued economic diversification of Dulacca, stimulating job growth during both construction and operation.”
Energy minister Anthony Lynham said the Dulacca project followed the $48 million Baking Board solar farm at Chinchilla and $217 million Darling Downs solar farm, which started operating on the Western Downs late last year, and another five south-west renewable energy projects either committed or underway.
“This is yet another project generating jobs and renewable energy for Queensland, as we transition steadily towards our target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030,” Dr Lynham said.
Renewable Energy Systems is also investigating the possibility of developing a solar farm on the site, a project that will be subject to a separate development application process.
It comes as work continues on the Coopers Gap Wind Farm, where the first wind turbine tower was completed in mid-November.