- ACEN Australia is hosting drop-in information sessions to inform the community about North East
Wind and the supporting high voltage transmission line connection to the electricity network near
George Town. - A study corridor for the proposed transmission line has been defined to progress the selection of
a route that will minimise overall impacts to landholders, the environment, and communities. - The transmission connection will deliver North East Wind’s world-class wind energy to the
doorstep of Bell Bay, a major demand centre for electricity usage in the State with the potential to
grow substantially as a hub for advanced manufacturing, future green fuels, and other green
industries
10 September 2023, TASMANIA – ACEN Australia, a leader in renewable energy development, is commencing community engagement on the development of the high voltage transmission line required to connect its North East Wind project at Waterhouse and Rushy Lagoon to the existing shared electricity network near Bell Bay.
A study corridor for the proposed transmission line has been defined to progress the selection of a route that will minimise overall impacts to landholders, the environment, and communities.
ACEN Australia considered residential properties, urban areas, agricultural productivity, natural values, areas of high conservation value, known heritage sites, and scenic and tourism values when identifying the study corridor Toby Dove, Development Manager ACEN Australia said;
‘Defining a study corridor allows us to engage with landholders and other stakeholders through the investigation phase as we refine the transmission line route to minimise potential impacts. Early and ongoing consultations with landholders help us identify and address their unique requirements, such as avoiding impacts on farming infrastructure.’
As part of the current investigation phase ACEN Australia is consulting with landholders along the transmission line study corridor that could be directly involved with the project. ACEN Australia will work with directly involved landholders to identify potential constraints on their properties, discuss access for field surveys and technical studies, and further inform the project design and assessment requirements.
Drop-in information sessions will be held this week in George Town, Winnaleah, and Scottsdale to inform the broader community.
‘I encourage people to attend these sessions to find out more about the project and the transmission line, and share their thoughts,’ said Mr. Dove.
North East Wind, declared a Major Project by the Tasmanian Government in 2022, will create jobs and boost the economy during construction, and support ongoing jobs once operational.
David Pollington, Managing Director, ACEN Australia, highlighted the importance of the transmission line in delivering wind energy to Bell Bay.
‘The transmission connection will deliver North East Wind’s world-class wind energy to the doorstep of Bell Bay, a major demand centre for electricity usage in the State with the potential to grow substantially as a hub for advanced manufacturing, future green fuels, and other green industries.
Mr Pollington also highlighted the strategic importance of North East Wind which could supply up to 45% of the new generation capacity needed to reach the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target. The Target aims to double clean energy production by 2040 under the State’s renewable energy plan – supporting local industries and powering Tasmania’s economy with affordable clean energy for generations to come.’
‘Like the rest of the nation, Tasmania’s demand for renewable energy is growing and will continue to grow as we electrify transport, and transition industrial sectors reliant on fossil fuels to alternatives like hydrogen and methanol. So, we need large-scale wind projects like North East Wind to fully harness our world-class wind resource, meeting future demand with locally sourced renewable energy.’ Mr Pollington said.
ACEN Australia invites community members to attend upcoming drop-in sessions to find out more about North East Wind and the proposed transmission line. Session details as follows:
- Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 1-7pm: George Town Memorial Hall, 29-67 Macquarie St, George Town
- Thursday, October 12, 2023, 1-7pm: Winnaleah Memorial Hall, 20 Main Rd, Winnaleah
- Friday, October 13, 2023, 1-7pm: Mechanics’ Institute Hall, 11A King St, Scottsdale
ENDS
More information
Dan Sinkovits, Community Engagement and Communications Specialist
0417 767 124
dan.sinkovits@acenrenewables.com.au
Background:
North East Wind
North East Wind involves the proposed development of a large-scale wind farm located predominately on agricultural land in the Dorset municipality in North East Tasmania. The project will be developed across two clusters, Waterhouse in the west and Rushy Lagoon in the east.
North East Wind will consist of up to 210 wind turbines and a generation capacity of up to 1,260 megawatts, a transmission line connection to State and National electricity network, onsite electrical infrastructure, temporary construction facilities, workers accommodation and may include a marine landing and wharf facility.
North East Wind was declared a Major Project in 2022 and received the assessment criteria in August 2023. An Environmental Impact Assessment will also be required under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. In preparation for these assessments ACEN will be carrying out surveys and our staff and consultants will be more active in the area over this period. Initial surveys will focus on flora and fauna, cultural heritage, marine, noise and visual assessment.
North East Wind presents a significant opportunity for the region, creating up to 400 jobs during peak construction and 65 ongoing jobs for the 25-year operational life of the project. It was declared a Major Project in 2022.
By tapping into the region’s world-class wind resource, each year North East Wind could power 700,000 homes and avoid 2.5 million tonnes of CO2. The project will also contribute up to 45% of Tasmania’s Renewable Energy Target to double clean energy production by 2040.
North East Wind is necessary to meet our growing demand for clean energy by:
- Supplying affordable power for fully electrifying homes, businesses, and supporting electric vehicles and future green fuels.
- Supporting the growth of existing Tasmanian industries and attracting Green Hydrogen and Methanol production, along with advanced manufacturing powered by locally sourced clean electricity.
- generating surplus power for export, supporting the national transition towards cleaner energy.
Transmission Line connection
The transmission line for North East Wind is required to connect the wind farm clusters at Waterhouse and Rushy Lagoon to the strongest part of the existing 220-kiloVolt (kV) transmission network near George Town and Bell Bay, areas with high energy demand.
The proposed transmission line corridor aims to utilise a mix of land use types to minimise overall impacts, including Crown forestry. The route selection considers:
- Residential properties and urban areas
- Agricultural productivity
- Natural values and areas of high conservation value and known heritage
- Scenic and tourism values
The transmission line corridor proposal spans a total of 130 km, including a span from each wind farm cluster to a junction at Boobyalla and a longer section to a switching station in the Long Reach area near Bell Bay and George Town.
The technical design features an overhead double-circuit 220 kV transmission line, strung on steel lattice towers set within a 60-meter wide easement. This design is comparable to the existing 220 kV transmission infrastructure in the George Town area and around the state.
About ACEN Australia
ACEN Australia is the platform representing ACEN’s renewable energy assets in Australia. With more than 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity of large scale renewable energy generation in construction, and more than 8GW capacity in the development pipeline, its portfolio includes several solar, wind, battery and pumped hydro projects across Australia.
New England Solar (Stage 1) in NSW is ACEN Australia’s first operational project. It is one of Australia’s largest solar projects participating in the National Electricity Market (NEM) and is the largest solar project in Australia to be financed on a fully merchant basis. Stubbo Solar in the NSW Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is ACEN Australia’s second project, which commenced construction in late 2022.
With 80+ employees and growing, our people are based in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
www.acenrenewables.com.au
ACEN Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACEN, the listed energy platform of the Ayala group. The company has ~4,200 MW of attributable capacity from owned facilities in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Australia. 2021 saw the integration of international assets into ACEN and its transformation from a Philippine focused energy provider into a significant regional renewable energy provider in the Asia Pacific.
www.acenrenewables.com
ACEN is the Philippine listed energy platform of the Ayala Group. Founded in 1834, Ayala Corporation is one of the largest companies in the Philippines with core interests in real estate, banking, water, telecommunications, and power. It also has emerging enterprises in infrastructure, healthcare and education. In addition, Ayala’s corporate social responsibility programs are managed under the Ayala Foundation.
www.ayala.com