GOLDWIND AND CECWPC JOINT WIND FARM INVESTMENT

The joint Goldwind and CECEP Wind Power Corporation (CECWPC) White Rock Wind Farm in northern New South Wales is being built on a merchant basis. This 175 megawatt capacity project reached financial close in early 2016, the first for the year, and construction started in May 2016.

John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia, said the project had been well received by the local community.

'We are committed to local sourcing and engagement of local contractors and suppliers where feasible, and have been from day one.' said Mr Titchen.

In October 2016 a community event in Glen Innes marked the delivery of the largest wind turbine blade in Australia, at 59.5 metres long, as a significant project milestone.

When Stage 1 of White Rock Wind Farm is fully commissioned at the end of 2017, Goldwind will have installed an overall total of 340 megawatts of wind power in New South Wales.

Mr Titchen said Goldwind will continue to lead the market as momentum builds towards meeting the 2020 Renewable Energy Target.

'We are preparing several projects for construction across Australia including Moorabool Wind Farm in Victoria (approved for the construction and operation of 107 turbines) and Coppabella Wind Farm in NSW (approved for the construction and operation of 79 turbines). Market conditions have developed as expected and we continue to see an increased interest from customers for Goldwind turbines and Engineering Procurement and Construction contracts. There is real momentum underway across the sector and we are focused on delivering projects to meet the Renewable Energy Target.' said Mr Titchen.

Goldwind's innovative wind-solar hybrid projects are also progressing well—Gullen Solar Farm (jointly owned by Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy) and White Rock Solar Farm—will commence construction in 2017. These projects will represent 10 megawatts and 20 megawatts respectively of solar generation, located at wind farm sites and sharing the existing wind farm infrastructure. Co-location of wind and solar provides numerous benefits such as complementary energy generation patterns, and reduced environmental impacts and project costs. These co-location projects are the first of their kind in Australia and will provide a blueprint for similar projects to follow.

Goldwind provided this content.