Executives from a major French-owned power company recently gathered at their Canunda Wind Farm, west of Millicent, to mark its 20th anniversary and to announce a 10-year extension of the project.
ENGIE managing director of renewables Laura Caspari said the Canunda Wind Farm was commissioned on March 30, 2005, making it one of the oldest in South Australia.
“It has been a cornerstone of renewable energy for nearly two decades,” Ms Caspari said.
“When Canunda was commissioned, it was expected to have a 20-year operational life.
“A recent life extension assessment completed between ENGIE and turbine manufacturer Vestas has determined that Camunda’s design life can be extended by another 10 years.
“Rather than retire the project, we have been able to push its operational lifespan to 2035.
“This extension means 10 more years of clean energy for South Australia’s grid and continued contributions to ENGIE’s renewable energy goals.”
ENGIE’S 46MW wind farm generates enough clean energy to power an average of 30,000 homes across South Australia, and boasts a high wind yield by world standards.
The 8km long site contains 23 turbines reaching heights of 107m from the base of the tower to the tip of the blade.
It straddles the Wattle Range and Grant councils and is bordered to the north by the Spanish-owned 112 turbine Iberdrola Lake Bonney windfarm.
