News

The owners of a private 2-turbine wind project in Hampton, within NSW’s Lithgow City Council, are planning to replace the ageing infrastructure nearing the end of its life with two new units.

Windfarm 1 has submitted a development application to the council “for decommissioning and removal of the existing two wind turbines and construction and assembly of two new wind turbines” on the same privately owned property.

The owners intend to replace two Vestas V47 660 KW turbines with two new Vestas V80-2.0 MW platform turbines, increasing the capacity from 1.32 MW to 4 MW, for a capital cost of around $11.5mil.

The original two turbines were installed in 2001 as a demonstration project with the assistance of venture capital firm CVC Reef.

The two new turbines will be positioned slightly differently to the existing ones to increase the setback from the road and spacing between the turbines.

Being a larger model, the neighbouring owner has given consent for the blades to overhang their property.

As for the old turbines, the owner intends to find a new home for them on another site within Australia once dismantled and refurbished. However if this can’t be done they will be sent for recycling and disposal.

Contact has been made with ACCIONA about recycling any retired blades through its “Turbine Made” initiative.