The largest approved wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Rokewood near Geelong, has reached a pair of significant milestones.

Global clean energy producer TagEnergy has been secured as equity investor for the $3 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm and Vestas will deliver the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for the project and long-term service and maintenance for 30 years.

TagEnergy, part of the Impala SAS group, will be the majority equity investor and operator of the Golden Plains Wind Farm supported by the project’s original developer WestWind Energy which will perform asset management for TagEnergy.

TagEnergy is a clean energy enterprise for a new cycle in the renewable energy industry. It was formed in 2019 to accelerate the energy transition by developing and investing in competitive and clean power stations in order to compete directly and actively on the energy markets.

Stage One of the wind farm is currently designed to feature 122 of Vestas’s V162-6.2 MW™ wind turbines from their industry-leading EnVentus™ platform.

TagEnergy CEO Franck Woitiez said TagEnergy is rapidly growing its pipeline of projects across multiple international markets. “We are delighted to partner with WestWind to deliver what will be a landmark clean energy project for Victoria and Australia at a scale never seen before in the Southern Hemisphere.”

WestWind Energy Managing Director Tobias Geiger said “We are excited to continue our work with the local community, TagEnergy and Vestas to deliver this exciting project. With an installed capacity of more than 1,300MW, the Golden Plains Wind Farm’s 215 turbines will be capable of producing more than 4,500 GWh of energy annually, approximately 8% of Victoria’s energy demand.”

The project will also feature a 300MW battery storage facility that will add flexibility and stability to the grid. The overall project will be built in two phases, generating more than 700 direct jobs – double the area’s current population – with construction to commence by June 2022 and the first electrons fed into the grid in 2024.

Once complete, the Golden Plains Wind Farm will be Australia’s largest, providing sustainable energy for more than 750,000 homes – the equivalent of every home in regional Victoria.

Golden Plains Wind Farm has been in partnership with the community of Rokewood and districts for more than 15 years starting with initial discussions in the shearing shed with local farmers. Since that time it has enjoyed broad community support with trusting relationships helping to inform the development of the project.

The Golden Plains Shire has a strong wind resource which, combined with vastly cleared land thanks to decades of agricultural activity, makes a great canvas to build upon. The high voltage 500kv powerline which runs directly adjacent to the southern boundary of the site allows for direct access to the energy grid, removing the need for additional power lines beyond the boundaries of the project.