New wind farm approved for Far North Queensland

Construction of a new $200 million wind farm near Lakeland in Far North Queensland is set to begin following approval by the Queensland Government.

The Queensland Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning issued the Development Approval for the Lakeland Wind Farm to be constructed and operated by Windlab Limited (ASX:WND) – Australia’s international wind energy company.

The project will include up to 30 wind turbines as well as electrical infrastructure and will produce around 100 megawatts of power for North Queensland, connected via the national electricity grid.

Windlab Chief Executive Officer. Roger Price said “In securing approval, Windlab worked closely with the department and local community to optimise the project design to accommodate the property development plans of a project neighbour, reducing the number of possible turbine locations to 30 from 35 whilst ensuring that the project remained viable and competitive.”

The Lakeland Wind Farm will be located 60 kms south-west of Cooktown on the Cape York Peninsula

The $200 million project will bring significant investment to the region and is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during construction. The wind farm will take around one year to construct.

The wind farm will operate for at least 25 years and generate enough power to supply more than 50,000 homes – similar to the number of households in Cook Shire, Mareeba Shire, Tablelands Region, and northern Cairns suburbs combined.

“Lakeland Wind Farm is an exceptional project and we eagerly anticipate starting construction this year.

“Working with the community is always key for us; we are therefore particularly pleased that we found a solution that aligns neighbour plans, planning code and project requirements.

“With construction of Kennedy Energy Park (Stage I) near Hughenden now in full swing and development of Stage II on the way, Windlab and North Queensland are contributing to securing affordable, diverse and reliable electricity for the benefit of all Queenslanders,” he said.