The government has approved plans for Australia's biggest wind farm tobe built near the outback town of Broken Hill in New South Wales.Almost 600 turbines will generate enough electricity for more than400,000 homes.
A forest of giant turbines will emerge from thered dust of the Australian outback near Broken Hill, an isolated townfamous for its lead and zinc mining.
The $1.7 billion projectis one of the largest on-shore wind farms in the world. It eventuallywill cover more than 32,000 hectares. Planning permission has beengranted for the first phase of development.
That phase will seethe construction of 282 turbines. Preliminary approval also has beengiven for the installation of a further 300.
Development of thesite near Broken Hill, which lies 500 kilometers southwest of Adelaide,must adhere to noise guidelines and limit the impact to theenvironmental.
Donna Bolton, the project manager for theSilverton Wind Farm, says its operational capacity in excess of 1,000megawatts will make a significant contribution to the energyrequirements of Australia's most populous state.
"It is amonster wind farm. It is fabulous in scale," she said. "The entirething will provide enough electricity for 4.5 percent of New SouthWales' electrical needs and it is about 430,000 homes for the entireproject. Wind power for Australia is fantastic because it is going tobe out of the cities, it is going to be where the jobs are needed, itis good for the environment, it is good for the local economies. It isa really significant part of the answer."
The New South Walesgovernment has big plans for this type of renewable power. StatePremier Nathan Rees has said that a series of wind farms across thestate would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six million tons a year.
Australia'semissions of greenhouse gases make it on a per capita basis one world'sworst polluters, thanks to its reliance on cheap and abundant suppliesof coal. Greenhouse gases, many of which come from burning coal andoil, are thought to contribute to global warming.
The federalgovernment intends to ease the dependence on fossil fuels and wants tohave 20 percent of Australia's electricity coming from renewable energyby 2020.
Solar and geothermal technologies are also being developed.
Someresidents have opposed the construction of some wind farms inAustralia, complaining that turbines produce a low-frequency drone,while others object to what they have described as "visual pollution."