Neoen has officially opened its 412-megawatt Goyder South wind farm in South Australia, marking the largest project in both the state and the French renewable developer’s global portfolio.
The two-stage facility, located near Burra on the lands of the Ngadjuri Nation, comprises 75 turbines and is expected to generate around 1.5 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, increasing the state’s wind generation by more than 20%.
The project is supported by three long-term power purchase agreements, including a 14-year, 100MW deal with the Australian Capital Territory government, a 10-year, 40MW agreement with Flow Power, and a 70MW renewable baseload contract with BHP to power its Olympic Dam mine.
“Goyder South is a credit to the world-class wind resources of South Australia and to the team’s leadership in leveraging these to develop high-quality projects,” Neoen Australia chief executive Jean-Christophe Cheylus said. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped bring this wind farm to life – our host landowners, the Governments of South Australia and the ACT, and the Regional Council of Goyder, as well as ElectraNet, AEMO, BHP and Flow Power.”
South Australia’s Minister for Energy and Mining, Tom Koutsantonis, added: “I commend Neoen on this significant investment and seamless development of what is now the biggest wind farm in South Australia. We are well on track for South Australia to meet its goal of 100 percent net renewables generation by 2027.”
Neoen said the project created more than 400 construction jobs and 12 permanent positions, generated over A$100 million in local supply chain value, and will provide an annual A$250,000 community benefit programme.
Neoen Group CEO Xavier Barbaro said: “We are proud of what has been achieved at Goyder South, the largest wind farm in Neoen’s portfolio, and of the decisive role we are playing in South Australia’s journey to net zero. Projects of this scale and quality enable us to deliver value to governments, customers and community stakeholders alike.”
Once construction of the Goyder North wind farm and Goyder Battery begins, Neoen’s total contribution to South Australia’s energy transition is expected to exceed 1.5GW, forming part of the wider Goyder Renewables Zone.
