Australia's "most powerful" windfarm approved : Melbourne Indymedia

The government of Victoria has announced plans to build what it says will be Australia's "most powerful wind farm." Planning Minister Rob Hulls has given the go ahead to a new $380 million wind farm at Mount Gellibrand in the state's south-west.

"I'm pleased to announce that I have approved Australia's most powerful and Victoria's largest wind farm to date," Mr Hulls said. "This project is expected to create anywhere between 110 and 120 jobs during construction and up to 25 full time positions during the life of the wind farm," he said.

The massive windfarm will be located 120 km west of Melbourne, close to the regional centre of Colac. The windfarm comprises 116 turbines of the 2 MW class - with an overall capacity of 232 MW. The windfarm will produce over 700,000 MWh of clean energy which is enough to supply approximately 132,000 Victorian households. German company Pro Ventum International is undertaking the project

Minister Hulls said only nine objections had been lodged against the project. Local landowner Tim Gore, who plans to have 32 turbines on his property, said he was not concerned about potential noise from the turbines. Pro Ventum International say they will commence work on an Environmental Management report the next few weeks.

Wind farm critic Tim Le Roy said there was no environmental benefit from the project at all and the Victorian government would better spend its money on geo-thermal energy.

The turbines, each 125 metres tall, will be visible from the Princes Highway between Geelong and Colac, sited at the foot of Mount Gellibrand.

In October last year, Colac Otway council's chief executive officer, Tracey Slatter, said the proposal would benefit the shire: "...we're looking at reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and with the demand of energy set to increase it is important that we do consider these renewable energy sources," she said.

[From Wikinews, the free news source you can write]

Sources:
* "Australia's largest wind farm approved". The Sydney Morning Herald, August 20, 2006
* "Victoria approves large new wind farm". Australian Broadcasting Corporation, August 20, 2006
* Media Release "Mount Gellibrand wind farm gets planning approval". Pro Ventum International GmbH, August 20, 2006
* "Panel hears wind farm submissions". Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October 19, 2005
* Melissa Fyfe, Misha Ketchell "Canberra buys into wind farm battle". The Age, October 14, 2004

Australia's "most powerful" windfarm approved - Wikinews
http://tinyurl.com/regtt

This is what is passed as 'Technical Data':-

Wind Resource:- Measured data indicates up to 44% capacity factor. Total annual yield of 700,000 MWh
Grid Connection:- Via the Moorabool-Terang 220kV line
Capital cost :- A$470 million
Earliest Operation:- Q2 2009
["The massive wind farm will be located 120 km west of Melbourne, close to the regional centre of Colac. The wind farm comprises 116 turbines of the 2 MW class - with an overall capacity of 232 MW. The wind farm will produce over 700,000 MWh of clean energy which is enough to supply approximately 132,000 Victorian households."]

This is only TRUE if the 132,000 homes are situated CLOSE ENOUGH to the 'farm'.

The RECTIFICATION of the FARM OUTPUT to otherwise suit GRID SPECIFIED distribution requirements translates the REAL output DOWNWARDS as the VOLTAGE is only a POTENTIAL POLARITY differential, NOT a measure of POWER DISTRIBUTION. Hence the WATT output of the farm is LESS into the distribution grid and REDUCES even further as DISTANCE Of Transmission increases.

Notice the TIME before construction, the Chinese can build a 200 MW Uranium fuelled Utility within 2 YEARS, which will add a minimum of 200 MW in REAL TERMS. The Victorian Government is already building Gas fuelled Utilities that can produce 400 MW already.

Is it perhaps time that the 'enviro news' beings to notice in a more BALANCED manner the concept of PUBLIC need and the REALITY that the Environment presents. The focus on 'political play' involving supposition of 'climate doom' still only avoids notice of the REALITY that Humanity lives within, trying instead to focus on aspects of HOW humanity 'lives', these being parcelled within the various attached platforms' the 'greenhouse wagon' drags along. There isn't possible any 'CO2 based' warming effect, as outlined by the 'greenhouse theory', these 'greenhouse remediations' are only a production of contrivance with only potentially DETRIMENTAL effects to the NATURAL course & persistence of 'Climate events' in their NATURAL & irregular but otherwise reasonable & 'GENTLE style'.

Next, realise that Biofuels are the FUEL of the future, & it is that Humanity has had the 'TECHNOLOGY of the future' for near 100 years prior to NOW, simply the 'past is forgotten' (again). There is no need for specific 'new engine design' even, the Turbine and 'Diesel process' are all in wide use AND have good multi-fuel (oil) abilities, even ethanol/methanol can be combusted. Notice the quote attributed to Rudolph Diesel from 1912:-
["The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time."]

GLOBAL Transport mechanisms worldwide, being the 'Long Haul' Truck, the Train & Maritime Propulsion systems (generally), makes the realisation that the 'compression process' engine is so deeply entrenched in the majority of use World Wide that bio-fuel oils (initially as supplemental) can on a GLOBAL basis reduce pollution. REALISE also that not only could the 'powering of Transport' at ALL levels be made feasible, but that ALSO the FUEL for Electrical Power Generation could be thus made. All this whilst reducing particulate pollution by up to 70%.

It is pointless to attempt to platform any shortage of either Uranium OR Fossil Oils or to try to 'bully opinion' regarding either 'greenhouse issues' and the related 'renewable platforming' especially as the latter is SEEN to be underperforming. The Public need only LOOK at the actualities, and such shows clearly a lack of REALITY within the 'greenhouse platform' and those lobby platforms (e.g. the 'renewable platform') there-after attached which have a place, it is simply NOT at the 'centre of stage'. Certainly Electricity is not 'made' by Opinion & Rhetoric or 'pictures' of Windmills...

Your's,
Peter K. Anderson a.k.a. Hartlod™
E-Mail: Hartlod@bigpond.com
(*)- http://hartlod.blogspot.com/
(**)- http://hartlodsgallery.blogspot.com/