Alternative Energy Press

(Sydney, Australia) NSW renewable energy company Epuron today announced its proposal to develop Australia’s largest wind farm near Broken Hill in western NSW. In a typical year the wind farm would be able to contribute up to 4.5% of the total energy needs of NSW and would be amongst the largest projects anywhere in the world.

“Our wind monitoring equipment north of Silverton in western NSW has revealed an amazing wind resource which will power between 400-500 wind turbines when completed,” Martin Poole, Executive Director of Epuron said.

“This project alone could contribute 4.5% of the total energy demands of NSW, supplying up to 400,000 homes with electricity. With a likely construction cost of $2 Billion, it will provide jobs and dollars for regional economies and play a significant role in addressing Australia’s climate change challenge. We are proceeding with this project on the assumption that the State and Federal Governments will legislate in the interests of developing Australia’s renewable energy industries- providing current and future certainty for projects like Silverton” Mr Poole said.

“In the short term it is vital that the NSW Government’s NSW Renewable Energy Target (NRET) legislation acts to assist NSW-based projects like Silverton rather than impede them” Mr Poole said.

Epuron has a wind monitoring network across NSW on sites identified for their wind farm development potential. These monitoring sites show excellent wind speeds in NSW. “NSW has an excellent resource on a world-wide basis, and competitive with wind farms in better known wind regions like Tasmania and South Australia,” Mr Poole said.

These wind speeds, combined with a strong transmission system, high base-load energy prices and the largest electricity demand in the country, mean NSW is the best location in Australia for wind farms. The project is likely to be the first in Australia to use wind energy production forecasting and actively bid into the National Electricity Market. It would be rolled out in stages, with construction likely to commence in 2009.

This large scale generator will help alleviate existing base-load power constraints in NSW and reduce the possibility of energy shortages in NSW.

Epuron will shortly commence community consultations and commence approvals processes with local councils and the NSW Government. The project is currently in the development phase.

Company Information

EPURON Pty Ltd is a renewable energy company based in North Sydney. EPURON is working on several wind farm projects in NSW with three projects totalling 90MW having received development consent and more in the pipeline. EPURON owns and operates one of the largest networks of wind monitoring masts in NSW, providing an enhanced understanding of the wind resource around the state. As well as wind projects, EPURON is actively developing a pipeline of utility scale solar thermal projects throughout Australia. Founded in 2003, EPURON has been the Australian subsidiary of EPURON GmbH of Hamburg since mid 2005. EPURON is a part of the listed company Conergy AG, the world’s market leader in solar power systems.

FACT SHEET: PROPOSED SILVERTON WIND FARM

EPURON has commenced development of one of the world’s largest proposed wind farms, to be located near Broken Hill in western NSW. With a likely construction cost of $2 Billion, the wind farm will see a large number of construction and operational jobs in one of the areas hardest hit by climate change.

The Silverton Wind Farm could deliver over 1000 Megawatts of clean renewable energy, providing enough power for around 400,000 homes, and around 4.5% of NSW electricity consumption in a typical year.

The Silverton Wind Farm could provide almost half the NSW renewable energy target announced last November by the NSW Premier. At the same time, it could reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 3 to 3.5 Million Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide each year.

If built today, this project would be the largest anywhere in the world. With construction expected to commence in 2009, the project will be three times larger than the next largest project in Australia, and will certainly be the largest project built in the Southern Hemisphere.

SITE LOCATION
The wind farm site is located in the Mundi Mundi and Robe Ranges which rise to almost 300m above the surrounding Mundi Mundi Plains. This wind farm site is one of the best available in Australia, due to the good wind resource, the space available, the low population density of the area and the potential to connect to the high voltage power lines in Broken Hill.

STAGED DEVELOPMENT
The development of the site is likely to be carried out in stages. The first stage of the development is in the southern end of the ranges and could involve up to 150 (2MW) turbines. Subsequent stages may see up to 500 wind turbines at the site.

TRANSMISSION CONNECTION
The first stage of the project would require a 23km long powerline to connect to the existing 220kV transmission line to Broken Hill. Full site capacity could be achieved by duplicating this existing powerline back to Buronga or Red Cliffs.

TIMEFRAME
EPURON has now commenced the detailed site investigations and expects to finalise details of the project by early 2008. EPURON will lodge the Development Application with the NSW Government by March 2008, with construction to commence in late 2009.

Wind Power Benefits
With around 4,000 Megawatts of wind farms under development, wind power has the potential to supply more than 15% of electricity supply in NSW by 2015.

Wind power is the only major source of power which does not rely on water to operate. This is even more important as climate change increases the likelihood and severity of drought.

NSW is an excellent location for wind farms. Contrary to the current myth, NSW wind speeds are comparable with locations in Australia’s windy southern states, and far better than Europe where most of the world’s wind farms are located. Coupled with the strongest powerline network; the largest energy demand and a strong power price, NSW is a clear winner when it comes to wind power development in Australia.

Wind farms located in NSW will help alleviate existing base-load power constraints in NSW, reduce the possibility of energy shortages in NSW, and reduce the need for new public investment in transmission capacity within NSW. Wind farms will increase diversity in power generation which provides greater resilience and adaptability to the NSW power system.

RENEWABLE ENERGY
The 1000 Megawatt Silverton Wind Farm would provide 3,000 – 3,500 GWh of renewable energy each year. This is enough power for approx 400,000 homes, or around 4.5% of the NSW annual electricity use of ~75,000 GWh/an.

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION
Wind power has the ability to deliver zero emission power at low cost from commercially viable and technically proven technology. The Silverton Wind Farm could reduce NSW’s greenhouse gas emissions by 3 to 3.5 Million Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide in a typical year.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
The Silverton Wind Farm would provide major benefits to the Broken Hill community. Wind farming could be the new resources boom for Broken Hill, with 30 – 50% of the estimated $2 Billion construction cost sourced from Australian based manufacturing and construction firms. This figure could be even higher with the potential for new local manufacturing facilities of wind farm equipment.

JOBS
The wind farm would create new, high quality jobs in construction, manufacturing and skilled maintenance in regional NSW. The ongoing operation and maintenance is likely to create 50 – 100 direct jobs in operating and maintaining the facility, with local injection of potentially $15-25 Million per annum from the project in additional to the capital investment.

EPURON Background
EPURON is one of the world’s leading project development and structured financing companies in the renewable energy sector.

The company develops, finances and implements solar and wind farms, solar thermal power stations as well as biogas and bioethanol plants. Since its foundation in 1998, EPURON has financed and implemented over 70 large scale projects with an investment volume of over 640 million Euros, including more than 250 Megawatts of wind farms. Its clients include institutional and private investors from Germany and abroad. EPURON has branches in twelve countries on five continents.

Through its Australian subsidiary, EPURON is the most active wind energy developer in NSW. EPURON has already taken three wind farms through the Development Approval process:

• Cullerin Range Wind Farm (30MW) near Goulburn [approved February 2007]
• Conroy’s Gap Wind Farm (30MW) near Yass [approved June 2007]
• Snowy Plains Wind Farm (30MW) near Berridale [approved December 2005]

Construction is expected to start on the first of these projects as early as mid-2008.

EPURON has also commenced development of the Gullen Range wind farm in the Goulburn region of NSW, with a possible site capacity of 150 – 200 Megawatts.

EPURON is developing additional sites across NSW with a total capacity of up to 1,800 Megawatts. Our most recent announcement was the commencement of development of the Gullen Range Wind Farm near Goulburn, with an expected capacity of 150 – 200 Megawatts.

EPURON has a wind monitoring network including 13 sites across NSW on sites identified for their wind farm development potential. Contrary to the current understanding, these monitoring sites show excellent wind speeds in NSW. There is a great resource on a world-wide basis, better than most Victorian wind farm sites and comparable with sites found in Tasmania and South Australia.

EPURON is part of the CONERGY AG GROUP

Conergy is considered to be the highest volume solar company in Europe, and also numbers among the leading international providers of other rapidly growing fields of renewable energy.

Conergy pursues a customer-oriented global growth strategy which aims to offer each energy consumer worldwide the most appropriate technology in attractive markets for renewable energies. In foreign markets, the energy requirement for electricity, heat or cooling varies greatly. Conergy therefore offers a wide range of regenerative energy products, and has an internationally oriented management team.

The Conergy Group is now represented with its own branch offices on five continents.