Monthly Archives / April 2019

Global Power Generation Australia (GPG) has partnered with Vestas Australian Wind Technology and MPC Kinetic and are pleased to announce that Construction has now begun on Stage 1 of the Berrybank Wind Farm, the 43 Wind Turbine Stage 1 has an expected completion date for construction to be September 2020.

Construction of the internal access roads commenced on 17^th April 2019, the bench for a temporary concrete batching plant has been installed, and we plan to start wind turbine foundation excavations by the end of the first week in May.

We expect to have the internal access track to the proposed new substation and site office compound completed by the end of April, for construction to begin at the start of May for both pieces of infrastructure.

We are expecting that the Turbine components will begin to arrive at site starting in August, these components will both be coming from Geelong and Portland. A schedule will be made public and distributed in advance to prevent any significant delays or impacts.

GPG would also like to announce that we have employed a Local Resident Mr. Nathan Micallef of Lismore to the position of Community Engagement Officer who will be based at the Site Office Full Time and he will be working with landholders, neighbours, council and local communities through the construction and operation of the development. You can contact Nathan at Nathan.Micallef@unionfenosa.com.au

GPG makes the first steps in the fulfillment of its Local Investment Plan (LIP) in relation to the Berrybank wind farm project in Australia

As our EPC and O&M Contractor for the Berrybank project, Vestas has entered into two important partnerships in relation with this Local Investment Plan:

• One of them in February with Marand Precision Engineering for the assembly of the wind turbines hubs and drive trains of the project in Vestas´ new wind turbine manufacturing facility in Geelong, 85 km far from the site of our project. This partnership will allow Vestas to bring its world-class wind turbine sourcing, assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, thereby supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector.
• The second one with Deakin University this month in order to develop a research project that will seek carbon fibre composites to improve efficiency and drive down the cost of wind turbines. Turbine blades are now the largest single use for carbon fibre, accounting for over 40 per cent of global production. This partnership represents a powerful combination that will position Geelong and Victoria at the forefront of wind energy innovation and commercialisation.

This Local Investment Plan forms part of the commitments under the long term power purchase agreement awarded by the State of Victoria last August in the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) 2017 Reverse Auction.

Both initiatives are comprised within the `Vestas Renewable Energy Hub´ (VREH) that our contractor has committed to develop in Geelong. This hub concept has been developed driven by its strong existing presence in Victoria and the new market opportunities presented as a result of the Victorian Renewable Energy Action Plan and the New Energy Technologies Sector Strategy. It will involve the investment of approximately AUD3MM by Vestas and directly employment of 21 employees.

The VREH is designed to be scaled sustainably, as the VRET expands Victoria’s renewable energy market out to 2025, and to address every aspect of the Wind Power value chain. The VREH will build Victorian industry capability in Wind Turbine Machine Assembly, Subcomponent Supply, Wind Farm Maintenance, Logistics and Advanced Materials and

Manufacturing Science, through the implementation of 5 initiatives:

• Western Victorian Service Support Centre
• Australian Main Component Logistics and Maintenance Centre
• Wind Turbine Manufacturing Facility (hubs and drive trains assembly by Marand)
• Wind Turbine Technician Training – Federation University
• Wind Carbon Research Partnership – Deakin University