Dan Hansen, CEO of Suzlon Energy Australia, said: "Our team of experienced power industry professionals valued the opportunity to work with Infigen Energy to deliver another sustainable power plant in Australia. The successful commissioning of the Capital Wind Farm demonstrates the real and important role that wind energy has to play in a low carbon economy."
As one of Australia’s largest wind farms Capital will produce clean wind energy to power the Sydney Water desalination plant and avoid the emission of approximately 390,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.
The wind farm has provided an important boost for wind power jobs and investment in the local economy. Infigen invested more than half the total value of the project in Australian products and services, such as the steel wind turbine towers. The wind farm will continue to provide clean energy jobs for the life of the project to meet the ongoing service and maintenance requirements.
The Capital Wind Farm also plays a role in helping shape the clean energy jobs of the future. Through a ground-breaking partnership between Suzlon and RMIT, the wind farm was host to Australia’s first wind farm electrical apprentices. Through this program, ten pioneer apprentices will soon possess qualifications that will equip them to make a real contribution to the renewable energy industry.
As part of an extensive program to rehabilitate the land, up to 6,000 trees have been planted by Trees for Earth. Suzlon is pleased to be involved in this project which will boost farm production, repair damaged land and is an excellent model for future wind farm development.
Commenting on the opening, Mr. Tulsi Tanti, Chairman of Suzlon Energy Limited, said: "The Capital Wind Farm is an important milestone towards Australia’s commitment to making the transition to a low carbon economy and I welcome the Australian government’s ongoing support for renewable energy. We are happy to work with Infigen to provide clean, renewable energy. The wind farm is a step towards a greener future generating significant employment opportunities and benefits to the local business and communities."
Suzlon Energy Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australia and New Zealand arm of Suzlon Energy Limited, is the largest turnkey constructor, operator and maintenance service provider of grid-connected wind farms in Australia. Suzlon’s current Australian commitments will see over 700 MW of wind energy delivered in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
Wind farms account for about a quarter of Australian electricity generating developments now under construction or planned as the country moves to increase its reliance on renewable energy. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics said renewable energy sources accounted for only 3 percent of Australia’s electricity generating capacity in 2007/08, according to the latest figures available.
But the country’s new renewable energy laws, passed in August, were encouraging the development of new projects. Under those laws, Australia increased its target for renewable energy to 45,000 gigawatt hours by 2020 from a previous target of 9,500 gigawatt hours in 2010. Coal-fired electricity generation remained the major source of power, accounting for 81 percent of capacity in 2007/08.
In the six months to October, ABARE said there were seven electricity generation projects completed in Australia, comprising one coal, one coal seam gas, two gas and three wind powered projects that in total delivered 1,582 megawatts of extra capacity. It said nine out of 18 new generation projects at advanced stages of development as of October 31 were renewable energy projects with eight being wind farms and one a hydro-electricity scheme.
Combined the nine projects would produce 873 megawatts out of 3,569 megawatts of new capacity under development, equivalent to about 7 percent of Australia’s total generating capacit. ABARE said the largest renewable project was the A$300 million ($279 million), 111 megawatt Waterloo wind farm in South Australia state by renewable energy firm Roaring 40s.
Suzlon Energy Limited ranked as the world’s third leading wind turbine supplier in terms of market share in 2008. Suzlon has ranked as the leading manufacturer in the Indian market for ten consecutive years, maintaining over 50 per cent market share. Suzlon has its corporate offices in Pune, India and the company’s global spread is reflected in its projects and markets portfolio – extending across Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America. Suzlon is a highly vertically integrated wind turbine manufacturer with manufacturing capability along the full value chain – from components to complete wind turbine systems. For more information on Suzlon, please visit: www.suzlon.com.
Suzlon and REpower, if taken together, stand as the world’s third leading wind turbine supplier group in terms of market share. Market share of 12.3 per cent is derived from BTM Consult ApS World Market Update 2008, ranking Suzlon with 9 per cent of global market share and REpower with 3.3 per cent of global market share.
Infigen Energy is Australia’s leading specialist renewable energy business which owns and operates wind farms in Australia, the Unites States, Germany and France. Infigen listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 28 October 2005 and has a market capitalisation of approximately A$1.2 billion. Infigen’s business comprises interests in 41 wind farms that have a total installed capacity of approximately 2,246MW and are diversified by wind resource, currency, equipment supplier, off-take arrangements and regulatory regime. For more information on Infigen, please visit: www.infigenenergy.com.
