Goldwind has signed an agreement with TransGrid to connect Goldwind turbines to the Australian grid. The turbines will be located at Goldwind’s Gullen Range Wind Farm in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands. This is the first project in Australia to host Goldwind’s 2.5MW permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) wind turbines.
“Gullen Range is Goldwind’s second wind farm in Australia and the first to use 2.5MW PMDD wind turbines. The project now has both a grid connection agreement and a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). We are looking forward to energising the windfarm in late 2013,” Goldwind Australia managing director John Titchen said.
The Goldwind PMDD wind turbine has a full power converter that is highly controllable. No reactive plant will need to be installed at Gullen Range Wind Farm, which is to be connected to the TransGrid 330kV transmission network. Gullen Range is the first major wind farm since early 2011 to receive a connection agreement from TransGrid.
The 2.5MW series are developed by Goldwind‘s global research and development team and the 2.5MW series is an evolution on its internationally recognised PMDD 1.5MW series, which have more than 6000 units commissioned.
“TransGrid’s connection agreement with Goldwind demonstrates our commitment to facilitate the connection of new generation into Australia’s national electricity market,” TransGrid managing director Peter McIntyre said.
“The NSW transmission network is an efficient and secure platform to connect the Goldwind Gullen Range Wind Farm to the national grid, helping facilitate a competitive and efficient national electricity market,” he said.
“The energy industry is undergoing a period of significant change and transmission networks will be a key facilitator in the shift to lower emission and renewable energy generation sources.”
The Gullen Range Wind Farm will consist of 73 Goldwind PMDD turbines. Under the grid connection agreement, the wind farm can generate up to 182.5MW. Construction is planned to begin in October 2012 with the wind farm scheduled to be energised in late 2013.
