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Mumbida wind farm
Verve Energy is carrying out a feasibility study to construct a wind farm 40 kilometres south of Geraldton.
The project, known as Mumbida Wind Farm, could have up to 42 turbines, producing up to 90MW of electricity and significantly increasing the amount of renewable energy in WA. It is near the Walkaway Wind Farm (owned by others).
The Mumbida Wind Farm feasibility study is due for completion in early 2010. Verve Energy is examining the social, environmental, technical, financial and business aspects of the proposed works. The decision whether to proceed with the wind farm will be made when the feasibility study is completed. The results of the feasibility study to date have been positive.
Plans for a wind farm in this location were first considered in 2002, when approvals were obtained for the construction of the original Mumbida Wind Farm. However, the project did not proceed because there was not enough capacity in the electricity network.
Verve Energy resumed its investigations after Western Power announced plans to increase this capacity by building a 330,000 volt transmission line from Eneabba to Moonyoonooka (near Geraldton).
Since the original wind farm proposal, wind turbine technology has improved considerably with larger and more efficient machines now available. For the revised Mumbida project, there will be fewer turbines (up to 42 rather than the original 50), while the output will increase from 30 MW up to 90 MW.
The proposed Mumbida Wind Farm is expected to produce about 320 GWh of electricity per year and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by about 240,000 tonnes per year. This is equivalent to the electricity use of 50,000 houses.
A community consultation plan is being rolled out progressively.
The Mumbida Wind Farm will cost about $250 million to build and could be operational by 2012.