Coopers Gap Wind Farm – which will be one of Australia's largest wind farms upon completion in 2020 – is a great example of AGL's commitment to building a sustainable energy future for all Australians.
The second greenfield project developed by the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF), the Coopers Gap Wind Farm will have a capacity of 453 MW and produce around 1,510,000 MWh of renewable energy – powering approximately 264,000 average Australian homes.
Coopers Gap Wind Farm is 250 km north-west of Brisbane near Cooranga North, between Dalby and Kingaroy. The site is located on land that's mainly used for cattle grazing and other farming activities.
It connects to a new Powerlink substation along the Western Downs to Halys 275 kV transmission line built by Powerlink.
The Ninth funding round will open on 1 September and close on 30 September 2021.
Delivery of wind turbine components from Port of Brisbane to Coopers Gap Wind Farm have been completed.
Media coverage on the first blade delivery is courtesy of Channel 7 Brisbane.
AGL reached financial close on the sale of Coopers Gap Wind Farm to the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF) in August, 2017.
AGL anticipates the total development investment associated with the Coopers Gap project will be approximately $850 million, funded through a combination of PARF partners’ equity and a lending group comprising Westpac Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Societe Generale, DBS Bank, Mizuho Bank and ABN Amro.
The $22 million sale of the project into PARF includes AGL writing a power purchase agreement at a bundled (i.e. including both electricity and associated renewable energy certificates) offtake price of less than $60/MWh (real) for an initial five years. There is a put/call option to extend for the following five years at the same or lower price. AGL expects to recognise nil profit on sale from the transaction.
Following the financial close on the sale of the project to PARF, construction proceeded on Coopers Gap Wind Farm with substation earthworks in September 2017, with first generation in June 2019.
GE and civil engineering construction company CATCON won the major contract to develop and build the wind farm. They will be responsible for:
The project is located in an area with consistent wind, a strong electricity grid and local community support. The addition of renewable generation aligns with state and federal renewable energy targets.
During construction of the wind farm, up to 200 people will be employed. Once constructed, it's expected that 15 to 20 permanent full-time employees will be required.
GE CATCON welcome expressions of interest and capability statements from suppliers and prospective employees.
AGL anticipates the total development investment associated with the Coopers Gap project will be approximately $850 million.
At their highest point, the blade tips will be 180m above ground level. Each blade is about 70m long. And each turbine will have the capacity to produce either 3.6 MW or 3.8 MW of power.
The Coopers Gap Wind Farm will incorporate 123 wind turbines, access tracks, hardstands, electrical reticulation system, electrical connection works and associated infrastructure. Located on 10 properties, it will have a generating capacity of 453 MW.
Australia’s electricity generation fleet is transitioning to create a more sustainable energy future. Large scale wind and solar generation will play a large part in this transition.
The project is currently on track to become operational mid 2020.
During construction, there will be minor impact on the environment. The Environmental Impact Study on our Environment page has details.
AGL will keep the local community updated throughout the construction process. Our Community page has more information.
The AGL Community Engagement Forum is a place to ask questions, provide feedback, or discuss anything about AGL’s operational sites and the communities in which we operate.
AGL understands that we don’t always get it right, and we want to be informed when we don’t. If you would like to provide any feedback, good or bad, or simply ask some questions, please feel free to get in touch via the following channels:
Learn more about how we handle general customer complaints on our complaints page.
