Macarthur Wind Farm

With 140 x 3 MW turbines, it's currently the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 420 MW Macarthur Wind Farm can generate enough clean, green energy to power the equivalent of approximately 167,000 average Australian homes.

Generating electricity from Macarthur Wind Farm displaces electricity that may otherwise need to be sourced from the grid at a higher emissions intensity.

Location

Macarthur Wind Farm sits about 16 km east of Macarthur, between Hamilton and Warnambool in south western Victoria.

Spanning about 5,500 hectares of freehold agricultural land, it crosses three properties that are predominately used for sheep and cattle grazing.

Development and maintenance

AGL engaged Leighton Contractors and Vestas to construct Macarthur Wind Farm. It took about 2.5 years to build, and has been fully operational since late January 2013.

Vestas continues to play an important role in ongoing operations. As the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines, Vestas brings state-of-the-art technology, quality and reliability to the project – ensuring its long-term success.

During development and construction, the total number of jobs (including flow-on employment) was estimated at 875 from the region, 2,490 from Victoria and 2,782 from the rest of Australia. A permanent site team – responsible for ongoing maintenance and operations – includes 18 local residents from south west Victoria.

AGL Macarthur Wind Farm Bushfire Mitigation Plan 2020-2021 (PDF)

News

In October 2019, AGL welcomed the sale of a 50% interest in the 420 MW Macarthur Wind Farm joint venture to AMP Capital.

AGL continues to operate and maintain the wind farm on behalf of Morrison & Co and Malakoff and AMP Capital, and retains the rights to all Renewable Energy Certificates and electricity output until 2038.

Community complaints and enquiries

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