Project Milestone Achieved
The 436.5MW Tarong West Wind Farm has reached a key milestone, with the Queensland Government approving the project’s State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) application.
Partnership and Location
Publicly owned Stanwell is working with global renewable energy developer RES to build the proposed 436.5MW wind farm, located 30km south-west of Kingaroy.
Energy Production Capacity
The project will feature 97 wind turbines and will produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes.
Commitment to Renewable Energy
The Queensland Government stated that the Tarong West Wind Farm will help meet the State Government’s commitment to producing 70% renewable energy by 2032 and 80% by 2035.
Government Funding and Job Creation
The project is backed by $776.1 million from the Queensland Government’s Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund and is expected to create around 200 construction jobs and 15 ongoing operational jobs.
Worker Accommodation Strategy
The SARA assessment considered an accommodation strategy for workers to ensure that housing supply in the region will not be adversely affected.
Ecological Considerations
SARA has worked closely with the Department of Resources to ensure that the development helps protect important areas of ecological significance, including up to 13.47ha of koala habitat.
Environmental Offsets and Rehabilitation
Conditions have been imposed for offsetting impacts for up to 5.4ha of koala habitat, in addition to requirements to rehabilitate areas cleared during construction to the greatest extent possible.
Construction Timeline
Construction is expected to commence in 2025.
Economic and Job Security Impact
Queensland Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs, Mick de Brenni, said that this project is about more than generating clean energy; it’s about job security for the local workforce. “Building this major energy infrastructure creates about 200 construction jobs, delivers a financial boost to the region, and long-term operations and maintenance roles,” Mr. de Brenni said.
Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy Goals
Stanwell CEO, Michael O’Rourke, said, “The Tarong West Wind Farm is a critical part of not only Stanwell’s plan to decarbonise our existing portfolio, but it’s critical to Queensland reaching its renewable energy targets.”
Future Capacity and Approval Process
“This development approval brings us one step closer to our aim of having 9-10GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity by 2035, and we are continuing to work with RES through the approval processes so we can bring this project to life."
Community and Career Benefits
“The 436.5MW wind farm will not only provide enough clean energy into the network to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes, it will also bring significant regional benefits to the community and provide future career opportunities for our people.”
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