The Dandaragan Wind Farms will consist of up to 151 x
2.1-3.4MW turbines which would result in a maximum total installed capacity of
513.4 MW. Each year these turbines would generate as much electricity as is
used by approximately 305,000 Western Australian homes. Thousands of tonnes of
carbon dioxide would be offset by replacing electricity generated via
conventional, fossil fuel burning power stations.
The Dandaragan Wind Farms are comprised of two sites. The
Waddi site would contain up to 57 wind turbines and it is located approximately
12km north west of Dandaragan. The Yandin site is approximately 4km south of
Dandaragan and would have up to 94 wind turbines.
Once turbines are in operation they will be monitored
remotely with maintenance personnel making periodic visits. Turbines are
expected to have an operational life of at least 25 years. After this time it
is likely the site will either be refurbished or decommissioned and returned to
its previous state.
- Number of turbines 151
- Rating of turbines 3.40 MW
- Wind farm size 513.40 MW
- Predicted output 1,682,022 MWhr p.a.
- Average Households supplied 305,822
- Carbon dioxide saved 1,311,977 tonnes p.a.
All the calculations used to estimate annual wind farm
output, the number of households it will supply and the CO2 emissions saved,
are generic figures based upon the calculations below.
1. Average Output
Wind Farm Capacity in MW x Capacity Factor (%) x Annual
Hours (8760) = Wind Farm Output (gross yield in MWhr per year)
2. Households Supplied
Predicted Output / Average Electricity Consumption per
Household p.a based on the following average consumption figures:
- SA: 6.12 kWhr (Essential Services Commission of South Australia (2007) 2006/07 Annual Performance Report: Performance of South Australian Energy Retail Market)
- VIC: 5.533 kWhr (Department of Human Services (2007) Victorian Utility Consumption Household Survey 2007)
- WA: 5.5 kWhr (EPA 2007, State of the Environment Report Western Australia 2007.Western Australian Environment Protection Authority)
3. CO2 Emissions Avoided
Wind Farm Output x CO2 Savings per kWH = CO2 Emissions
Avoided
Our minimum and maximum emissions figures used, in kilograms
of CO2 emitted per MWh, were obtained from the Australian Government Department
of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (July, 2010) National Greenhouse
Accounts (NGA) Factors.
The process of
developing, building and operating a wind farm project is very complex and
requires careful consideration of all factors and interests involved. The Wind Prospect strategy is focused on
working in tandem with the community and the environment; to produce the most
sensitive, efficient, and effective wind farm for the chosen site.
Each phase of the process requires the use of both in-house
and external technical expertise to deliver the highest quality outcomes. The pages in this section describe the
typical processes involved in the development and construction of a wind farm.
We believe the approach adopted by Wind Prospect has
resulted in our very high level of planning success over the past 10
years. We expect to maintain this
excellent track record for our current and future development sites.
Development
There are a number of stages in the
Development Process:
Consultation
Stakeholder consultation is a very important part of the
development process to ensure each project is both suitable and
appropriate. We consult with all the
relevant affected parties early on in this process. We commission a wide range of comprehensive
studies that enable us to evaluate the potential of each site in terms of
impact on ecology, landscape and visual amenity, noise, archaeology and other
environmental factors.
Aesthetics
Many people consider wind turbines to be elegant. They find
the motion of the slow-turning blades to be peaceful and feel that wind
turbines make a positive contribution to the landscape. However, not everyone agrees with this
perspective and as such we recognise that turbines are not suitable to all
geographic locations. We analyse any visual concerns that arise through close
liaison with communities, landowners and local authorities.
As part of the design process Wind Prospect conducts
comprehensive studies using specialist software to design an optimum site
layout. Computer modeling techniques
provide a realistic impression of the views that will be seen from various local
vantage points. These photo montages are
the most accurate representation of how the wind farm will look to the human
eye. The final stage in this process is
for a landscape analyst to evaluate any impact the turbines may have on the
local community.
Ecology & Wildlife
Like many developments, a wind farm has the potential to
affect local ecology through either behaviour change or habitat loss. Detailed studies are undertaken to determine
what flora and fauna is in the area and how this may be affected. We liaise
closely with relevant State environmental regulators as well as relevant
national bodies such as the Department of the Environment. We only proceed with projects where we are
satisfied that there will be no significant impact on the local ecology, or
that any impact can be dealt with through mitigation measures such as creating
extra habitat away from the wind turbines.
Archaeology & Cultural Heritage
The cultural significance of an area plays an important role
in the development of our wind farm sites. We have always consulted extensively
with indigenous groups around the world and will be continuing to do this in
Australia. Studies are also carried out
to assess the potential effects of the wind farm on archaeological values
including how these can be avoided or mitigated.
Noise
People who visit wind farms are often surprised at how quiet
modern wind turbines are while in operation.
Appropriate turbine model selection and a thoughtful site layout design
can ensure that sound levels at residences closest to the site will be minimal.
We measure the existing background noise at the nearest properties and then
calculate the additional noise, if any, from the turbines. There are strict
guidelines that determine acceptable levels of noise at residential properties
in Australia, and we ensure the project falls within these parameters.
TV & Radio Reception
We investigate any potential interference to local
television and radio communication services.
In the unlikely event that interference does occur, there are a number
of technical fix solutions that can be applied to remedy the problem.
Other
In some cases the wind farm development will require a study
based on aviation and/or tourism.
eg. proximity to civil aviation
flight paths and radar installations.
