ENGIE Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) has announced the acquisition of Hills of Gold Wind Farm, a A$750m ($528m) facility from Wind Energy Partners.
Located near Nundle, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, Hills of Gold Wind Farm is currently progressing through the planning process.
ENGIE ANZ will be responsible for the development and operations of the wind facility.
After obtaining all the approvals, ENGIE ANZ intends to begin construction work at the site by early 2022.
The wind facility will be equipped with 70 wind turbines and will have a capacity of up to 420MW.
During the construction phase, the project is expected to create more than 215 direct jobs and about 430 indirect jobs.
Once operational, the project is expected to create approximately 30 permanent jobs and 50 indirect jobs.
Additionally, the project is estimated to bring A$370m ($260m) of economic activity in the region during the construction phase.
The project also includes the construction of a 33kV/330kV onsite substation, which will be integrated with the existing 330kV TransGrid Liddell to Tamworth overhead transmission line network through a transmission line from the wind farm.
ENGIE ANZ Asset Development general manager Andrew Kerley said: “The Hills of Gold Wind Farm is a quality project that adds renewable energy to the national grid, while also creating local economic activity during construction and operation of the 25-year lifespan of the asset.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity of building the Hills of Gold Wind Farm and to working with the local community to unlock the benefits of renewable energy development.”
Earlier this month, renewable developer Engie and conglomerate Mitsui have reportedly sold a 75% stake in Australian Renewable Energy Trust. Fund management firm Infrastructure Capital Group (ICG) acquired the stake as part of a plan to increase green investments.
