Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA), the Australian subsidiary of Gas Natural Fenosa, is progressing its plans to construct and operate the Hawkesdale and Ryan Corner wind farm projects in south west Victoria. The investment for the combined wind farm projects is in excess of $400 million, and the projects will provide approximately 150 full-time equivalent employment in the region during the construction phase, and also approximately 20 full-time equivalent employment during the operation phase.

Both projects were rigorously assessed through the independent planning panel process, and received support by the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) and the Moyne Council in 2007-2008.

Unfortunately, since both projects were approved, several factors including some outside the control of UFWA, have affected the originally planned timing for delivering these projects:

• There have been delays in determining the suitable network connections as a result of Australian Energy Market Operator plans for grid hub arrangements.

• The delay in having a clearly defined framework for Large Scale Renewable projects has resulted also in volatility in the Renewable Energy Certificates and power purchase markets. This has impeded the investment and progress of the project.

• In 2009 UFWA proposed a slight redesigned to the turbine envelope and in August 2010 received the secondary consent from the Minister for Planning to vary the turbine height and rotor diameter.

• The Environmental Management Plans and the final Development Plans were submitted to DPCD for endorsement in late 2010 and during March-May 2011 respectively.

• UFWA prepared the detailed design package for both projects in December 2010, majority of this work has already been completed now and a construction tender process for an early works package has been completed and the successful contractor to be given site possession once the Construction Permit for the projects has been received from DPCD.

We anticipate the market conditions to improve from now and enable the projects to commence the major construction activities either late this year or early next year.

Taking all into consideration and due to time limitations on the original permits, UFWA requested the extension of the permits until 2012.

This is the first newsletter for the proposed Paling Yards Wind Farm. It is intended to inform the local community and interested stakeholders about key elements of the project, the site, and the steps in the upcoming planning process. This newsletter outlines the community engagement strategy that will be undertaken including details of an upcoming door knock in the local area. Subsequent newsletters will be distributed at key milestones of the project to keep interested community members informed and up-to-date.

Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA) is undertaking the preliminary stages of the wind farm project. UFWA is part of an international energy group called gasNatural fenosa, which is a leading vertically integrated gas and electricity group that has a presence in 23 countries. It employs over 20,000 staff with 17,000 MW of installed electricity generation and has more than 20 million customers. It has a long history of successful renewable energy projects around the world, building more than 2,000 MW of green energy capacity across wind, solar, hydro, biomass and other renewable energy sources.

Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA) is undertaking the preliminary stages of a wind farm development in Tarrone, Victoria. This newsletter outlines the details of an upcoming door knock in the local area as an important part of the community engagement strategy for the proposed Tarrone Wind Farm.

UFWA is part of an international energy group called gasNatural fenosa that is a leading vertically integrated gas and electricity group that has a presence in 23 countries and employs over 20,000 staff with 17,000 MW of installed electricity generation and has more than 20 million customers. It has a long history of successful renewable energy projects around the world, building more than 2,000 MW of green energy capacity across wind, solar, hydro, biomass and other renewable energy sources.

UFWA has eight wind farm projects across NSW & Victoria. This portfolio represents an investment of approximately $2 billion in renewable wind generation. Once complete, the portfolio will increase Australia's present wind generation capacity by over 1,000 MW. In addition, the portfolio will result in the creation of several hundred jobs in the construction and operational phases.

Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA) is undertaking the preliminary stages of a wind farm development in Tarrone, Victoria. UFWA is part of an international energy group called gasNatural fenosa that is a leading vertically integrated gas and electricity group that has a presence in 23 countries and employs over 20,000 staff with 17,000 MW of installed electricity generation and has more than 20 million customers. It has a long history of successful renewable energy projects around the world, building more than 2,000 MW of green energy capacity across wind, solar, hydro, biomass and other renewable energy sources.

UFWA has eight wind farm projects across NSW & Victoria. This portfolio represents an investment of approximately $2 billion in renewable wind generation. Once complete, the portfolio will increase Australia's present wind generation capacity by over 1,000 MW. In addition, the portfolio will result in the creation of several hundred jobs in the construction and operational phases.

This is the first newsletter for the proposed Tarrone Wind Farm. It is intended to inform the local community, interested stakeholders and nearby landowners about the project, and the steps in the process. Subsequent newsletters will be distributed at key milestones of the project.

Crookwell Development Pty Ltd (CDPL) is part of an international energy group proposing to develop a new wind farm in the Crookwell region. This project is currently applying for approval from the NSW Department of Planning. As part of this process, CDPL is interested in understanding the range of stakeholder perspectives to ensure they are taken into account in the development of the proposed site. As such, CDPL invites you to participate in its consultation and engagement in the coming weeks.

The planning application for the proposed Berrybank Wind Farm is now on public exhibition. The public exhibition stage is designed to allow interested locals and other stakeholders to consider the planning application, and to make a formal submission. A submission must be in writing and can be in the form of a letter, email or report. Submissions can support the wind farm, oppose the wind farm, or both support and oppose, including conditional support or opposition. All submissions will be made public and can be viewed by anyone. Submissions are due by 16 November 2009.

We encourage interested parties to obtain copies of the planning application and consider it when preparing a submission. The planning application consists of a single planning report, and numerous supplementary reports. The planning report contains a summary of the supplementary reports.

Crookwell II wind farm will utilise 46 individual wind turbines for a maximum output of 92MW. Additionally, the wind farm will require the construction of site access roads, an underground network of electrical and communication cables, an electrical substation and switchyard to connect to the national electricity grid as well as site control and facilities buildings.

Annually the wind farm is expected to produce 242 GWh, enough to power approximately 45,000 average households.

Following the Berrybank Wind Farm Information Day in late 2008, Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA) and the project team have been building planning application for the proposed wind farm.

Using the information gathered from the Information Day, subsequent stakeholder discussions and further on the ground investigations the assessments which are required to formally assess a planning application for a wind farm have been concluded. This includes investigation into the following areas;

• Economic and Social Impacts

• Visual and Landscape

• Noise

• Flora and Fauna

• Aviation

• Transport

• Telecommunications

• Fire Risk

• Shadow Flicker

• Heritage

• Geotechnical

• Cumulative Effects

The wind farm will comprise of 46 individual wind turbines each of 2 Megawatt (MW) generating capacity to give a total wind farm generating capacity of 92 MW. The green energy generated each year is about 242 GWh, which is equivalent to the energy required to power 45,000 average households.

In the middle of 2008, two companies joined forces to form a new powerhouse in the development of renewable energy in Australia. Those companies, TME Australia Group and Union Fenosa, combined to create Union Fenosa Wind Australia (UFWA).

You may be aware that TME Australia has been undertaking the preliminary stages of a wind farm development in Berrybank for some time.

The core team from TME Australia is still with UFWA but is further enhanced with the backing and expertise from the Spanish energy group, Union Fenosa.

Union Fenosa has earned a reputation as a growing international energy supplier with a specialty in wind energy.

Worldwide, Union Fenosa has a capacity of over 11,500 MW of installed electricity. That's equivalent to the generation capacity of Victoria and Tasmania combined, and it is still growing.

By combining TME and Union Fenosa, the Berrybank project will benefit from local knowledge and experience combined with the vast expertise and financial backing of one of Europe's big energy utilities.

Due to the high global demand for turbines and a shortage of supply to the Australian market, Crookwell Development Pty Ltd is looking to use newer turbines for the Crookwell II Wind Farm.

Three years ago Crookwell Development was granted development consent for Stage 1, approving the construction and operation of a wind farm consisting of 46 x 2 Megawatt capacity turbines and associated infrastructure.

The modification application will be accompanied by a detailed statement of environmental effects, reporting on the extent to which the proposed modification will vary the impacts of the wind farm as approved by the development consent.

The 46 turbines approved by the original development consent were capable of generating approximately 92 MW of electricity, produced by a Gamesa G80 turbine on a 67 metre tower.