Sulzon Energy Australia has revealed plans to spend upwards of $1.3 billion to build one of the world's largest wind energy projects on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.

 

Suzlon Group,  the world’s fifth largest wind turbine supplier with operations in 32 countries, is proposing to erect up to 180 turbines, 20 kilometres south-west of Ardrossan in what it has called the Ceres Project.

 

Once finished, the site will be able to generate up to 600 megawatts directly into the metropolitan Adelaide grid  via a High Voltage Direct Current connection across Gulf St Vincent.

 

“The Ceres Project will generate enough electricity to power more than 200,000 homes every year and provide long term certainty for Adelaide’s power supplies,” South Australian Premier Mike Rann said.

 

“In terms of the benefit to the environment, this level of wind power generating capacity is estimated to reduce output of carbon dioxide by 2.5 million tonnes each year.

 

South Australia already has 534 turbines installed producing 1,150MW of wind generating capacity which is more than 21% of the State’s total electricity generation. The Government has set a target of generating 33 per cent of the state's energy requirements through renewable means by 2020.

 

54% of Australia's total wind power generating capacity is currently generated in South Australia.

 

Mr Rann said the project will provide a big economic boost for Yorke Peninsula with more than 500 direct jobs created in construction and 50 ongoing jobs over the following 25 years.

 

The Premier said the company is currently currently preparing to implement a comprehensive community engagement and environmental assessment program and, if approved, hoped to complete the project by end of 2015.