Monthly Archives / July 2021

The Crookwell 3 wind farm is designed to generate enough energy to power 40,000 households.

Telstra and Naturgy, through its international power generation subsidiary Global Power Generation (GPG), announced today they have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) to build a 58 megawatt (MW) wind farm located near Goulburn in New South Wales. The wind farm, called Crookwell 3, will commence construction in the last quarter of 2021 and is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2023. GPG will invest approximately AUD120 million (equivalent to approximately €76 million) to develop the Crookwell 3 wind farm.

Under the long term PPA, Telstra has committed to procure 80% of the energy generated by the wind farm. The project fully complies with Naturgy’s investment and profitability criteria.

GPG CEO, Francisco Bustio, said, “GPG is committed to playing an important role in the development of Australia’s renewable energy industry and supporting the energy transition through the generation of clean, renewable energy.”

The wind farm is designed to generate the energy needed to power the equivalent of 40,000 households. It will also contribute to the local economy and help build capabilities within Australia’s renewable energy industry. Approximately 95 direct jobs will be created during the construction phase, and a further 6 permanent jobs will be created to support the ongoing operations of the wind farm.

Bet on Australia

The Crookwell 3 wind farm will be Naturgy’s sixth investment in Australia, through its subsidiary GPG. Already one of the top 3 independent renewable energy companies in Australia, this new project will see Naturgy reach 750 MW of renewable energy generation projects in the country with secured PPAs.

GPG currently operates the Crookwell 2 wind farm (91 MW), in New South Wales, with a PPA awarded by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government. In addition, the Berrybank 1 wind farm (180 MW) in Victoria, which was awarded a PPA by the Victorian Government, has recently commenced operations. The Berrybank 2 wind farm (109 MW), with a PPA awarded by the ACT Government, has started construction, and is due to be completed in the second half of 2022. As part of the commitments associated to this project, GPG is constructing a 10MW/20MWh battery located in the ACT that will support energy distribution on the ACT electricity grid.

GPG has already secured Corporate PPAs with other tier one corporate off-takers for two additional wind farm projects that will be located in Victoria: the Ryan Corner wind farm (218 MW) and the Hawkesdale wind farm (97MW).

Naturgy has an additional portfolio of more than 650 MW of projects in Victoria and New South Wales in different stages of development which will drive the sustainable growth of GPG in Australia.

About Global Power Generation (GPG)

Global Power Generation (GPG) is the international energy generation arm of Spain-based Naturgy. GPG has accumulated extensive experience developing over 4GW of power generation projects in 9 countries across the world and currently employs around 520 people worldwide.

Naturgy, parent company of GPG, is a pioneering multinational group in gas and electricity integration, operating in more than 20 countries, with 16 million customers, and 9,335 employees, of which more than 50% work outside of Spain. As of 2020, the Group has an installed capacity of 15,333 MW, an EBITDA of 3,714 million euros and the value of its assets amounts to 39,545 million euros.

Picture: Opening ceremony of GPG’s Crookwell II wind farm in Australia

The tower is the first stage of the Asia Pacific Renewable Energy training Centre – a partnership between Federation TAFE and the renewable energy industry. Moreover, is part of federation university’s broader plan to become the leading training and research partner for Australia’s renewable energy industry.

The AUS$ 1.8 million project is funded by GPG, Vestas, Acciona and Tilt renewables to allow the renewable energy companies to train workers locally in Ballarat, the gateway to Victoria’s major windfarm projects in the state’s west.

The aim of the project is to feature ladders and safety equipment to give students real-world experience when training to work in the wind industry, or other industries that require working at heights, such as construction and maintenance.

Construction on the new wind turbine training tower is expected to be finished later this year, with stage two get underway in 2022. This includes a classroom, workshop, and training equipment to deliver specialized training courses, such as wind turbine maintenance and blade repair.

Once completed, federation TAFE will be the only training provider in Australia able to deliver the global wind organization (GWO) basic safety training and refresher training courses from a simulated wind turbine tower. The GWO accreditation is required to work on wind turbines in Australia and around the world.

The six-month intensive course allows electricians, mechanical fitters, and automotive technicians to gain the skills needed to work in Australia’s growing wind energy industry. it includes an internship with wind turbine manufacturers and service organizations, covering electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic systems training.

David Santo Tomás Menocal, GPG Project Director: “Federation University’s new training program and facility will play a critical role in training tradespeople for the thousands of job opportunities that will be created by the transition to renewable energy in Australia.”

GPG Australia is delighted to contribute to this important initiative, and it is looking forward to employing graduates of the program at wind farms that we develop in the future.