Crows Nest Wind Farm

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Crows Nest Wind Farm
Australia Queensland relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Crows Nest Wind Farm
CountryAustralia
Location Crows Nest, Queensland
Coordinates 27°13′51″S151°57′34″E / 27.23083°S 151.95944°E / -27.23083; 151.95944 Coordinates: 27°13′51″S151°57′34″E / 27.23083°S 151.95944°E / -27.23083; 151.95944
StatusApproved
Construction cost$270,000,000
Owner(s) AGL Energy
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 200 MW

The proposed Crows Nest Wind Farm, will be located in south-eastern Queensland, 40 kilometres north of Toowoomba. It initially was to have an installed generating capacity of 124 MW that would produce intermittent electricity that could power some 47,000 homes during periods of high wind. It is expected that the wind farm will create 460 manufacturing and construction jobs and a further 15 full-time maintenance jobs in Crows Nest. The Crows Nest location on the western edge of the Darling Downs, offers some of the best average wind speeds available in Queensland, and the project will provide additional security of electricity supply in this fast-growing area. [1]

Queensland North-east state of Australia

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

Toowoomba City in Queensland, Australia

Toowoomba is a regional city in the Darling Downs region in the Australian state of Queensland. It is 125 km (78 mi) west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The estimated urban population of Toowoomba as of June 2017 was 135,631. A university and cathedral city, it hosts the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers each September and national championship events for the sports of mountain biking and motocross. There are more than 150 public parks and gardens in Toowoomba. It has developed into a regional centre for business and government services. It is also referred to as the capital of the Darling Downs. Toowoomba is served by Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and the smaller Toowoomba City Aerodrome.

Wind farm group of wind turbines

A wind farm or wind park is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other purposes. A wind farm can also be located offshore.

Contents

The project was acquired by AGL Energy in 2009 after purchasing it and another wind farm at Barn Hill in South Australia from Transfield Services. [2] In June 2009, AGL was allowed to increase the number of turbines by 20 units and therefore the output from 124 MW to 200 MW. The cost of the project is now expecting to be A$270 million. [3]

AGL Energy company

AGL Energy Ltd is an Australian listed public company involved in both the generation and retailing of electricity and gas for residential and commercial use.

Objections

Residents of Crows Nest Shire formed a "No Wind Farm" group which objected to the proposal. The activists contended that turbine blades would cause light flicker as they passed the sun, turbines would cause noise, devalue land, be a detriment to fauna and visual appeal of the area and were contrary to the council's town plan. They also argued the green credentials of wind farms were a myth because large amounts of coal-fired energy was needed to power up generators to full capacity after a drop in wind speed. After drawn-out legal proceedings and mediation between the parties, the objections were progressively dropped. [4]

Shire of Crows Nest Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Crows Nest was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, immediately northeast of the regional city of Toowoomba. The shire, administered from the town of Crows Nest, covered an area of 1,629.9 square kilometres (629.3 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1913 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Toowoomba area to form the Toowoomba Region. Its growth in later years has been fuelled by the expansion of Toowoomba, particularly the suburbs of Highfields and Blue Mountain Heights which, with a combined population of 7,333 in 2006, were home to over half the shire's population.

Wind turbine device that converts wind energy into mechanical and electric energy

A wind turbine, or alternatively referred to as a wind energy converter, is a device that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Crows Nest Wind Farm receives Development Consent
  2. ↑ "AGL buys Transfield wind farm projects". Brisbane Times . Fairfax Digital. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Stuart Cumming (2 February 2011). "Crows Nest wind farm to go ahead". The Chronicle. Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  4. ↑ (14 December 2006). Opponents vow to fight wind farm. The Chronicle. Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd.
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