Palmer wind farm construction starts
Tilt Renewables will built 40 turbines atop the eastern Mount Lofty Ranges over the next two years.
Construction work has started on one of the biggest renewable energy projects yet undertaken in the Murraylands.
Tilt Renewables’ Palmer wind farm will include 40 turbines, each up to 220 metres tall, atop the ranges which rise behind the town.
When complete, they will produce 288 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 142,000 homes.
Representatives of the Peramangk Aboriginal Corporation got things underway by performing a welcome to country and smoking ceremony on July 3, during NAIDOC Week.
Next, workers began installing gates, tracks and site offices.
Tilt Renewables CEO Anthony Fowler said the actual construction work would take about two years.
“The start of construction is a major milestone for Palmer Wind Farm and follows more than a decade of planning, consultation and design refinement,” he said.
A major legal challenge, which was eventually defeated, also contributed significantly to the delay.
“Over this time, we’ve worked hard to reduce its environmental and community impacts, cutting the number of turbines from 103 to 40 while maintaining similar energy output,” Mr Fowler said.
“We will do everything we can to minimise construction impacts on our neighbours, especially noise and traffic, and we would like to invite interested members of the community to join our community consultative committee.”
Public drop-in sessions will be held at Palmer’s Collier Park Hall from 11.30am-1.30pm this Wednesday, July 29, and at Tungkillo Soldiers’ Memorial Hall from 3-6pm.
Over its life, the wind farm would deliver more than $13 million worth of benefits to landholders, neighbours, nearby communities and local Indigenous people, Mr Fowler said.
Other major renewable energy projects in the region include Vena Energy’s Tailem Bend solar farm and battery energy storage system and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Summerfield battery.
