Stage IV - Cape Nelson North & Cape Sir William Grant Wind Farm

This project is under development

The Portland Wind Energy Project covers four sites in and around Portland. The first three stages have been built over the last few years.

Pacific Hydro is now working towards finalising the last stage of the project, Stave IV, which covers sites at Cape Nelson North and Cape Sire William Grant. Through the process of finalising the design of the project we have identified three changes we propose to make; the changes relate to generator numbers, their location and size.

Proposed Layout Changes

Pacific Hydro has refined the site layout for Stage IV through an iterative design process which has taken into account a range of factors including the local environment, visual amenity and cultural heritage. Through this process and due to technological advances in the wind industry which have seen great improvements in generator efficiency, we now propose to reduce the number of generators at the final stage of the project, increase the height of some generators and also move them off the top of the sand dunes at Cape Nelson North.

The final layout proposes a total of 27 generators, reduced from the maximum 58 allowed across the two sites, bringing numbers down by over 50%.

Of the 27 generators now proposed, the 11 at Cape Nelson North are proposed to increase in height to 126.25m (total height from the ground to the tip of the blade when vertical) while at the same time we propose moving them from the top of the sand dunes down onto the grazing land, neutralising their increased height in the landscape.

At Cape Sir William Grant, Pacific Hydro now proposes a total of only 16 generators. Six are proposed at 110m (total height), two at 115m (total height), four at 121m (total height) and four are proposed at 126.25m (total height).

Overall across the two sites, lower turbine numbers will reduce all environmental impacts, visual amenity, cultural heritage impacts, native vegetation and the (already low) risk to birds and bats.

Aviation Safety Lighting

The new proposed height of generators will necessitate aviation safety lighting to be fitted to some generators in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). While the CASA guidelines for the lightling of turbines is being reviewed, it has required that structures above 110m in total height must carry aviation safety lighting.

Pacific Hydro has consulted with CASA in regards the extent of lighting required. We have been advised that it is likely that seven generators at Cape Nelson North and seven generators at Cape Sir William Grant will be required to be fitted with lights.

Aviation safety lighting would be fitted to the nacelle of the generators (not the blades) and would be synchronised to flash together at each site. The lighting is specifically designed to notify pilots of a structure in the landscape. The narrow beam directs light out horizontally from it's source. It is not designed to light up the generator nor light up the ground below.

This wind farm is a development site. Information about the project is based on anticipated ourcomes from the planning and development process. The final design of the project is subject to variation.

* based on average household usage of 6MWh a year

** based on Victorian Government Policy and Planning Guidelines September 2009