Sapphire Wind Farm helps power the ACT


Released 25/07/2017

Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury will today tour of Sapphire 1 wind farm in regional NSW—a project that will power around 49,000 ACT homes.

“Construction commenced in January 2017 on the 100 megawatt Sapphire 1 wind farm, which is another significant step in progress towards the ACT’s 100% renewable energy by 2020 target,” Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said. “The ACT supported part of the wind farm will generate 349,703 megawatt-hours per year.”

The Sapphire wind farm is located 18 kilometres west of Glenn Innes in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. It was one of two successful projects in the ACT’s 2015 second wind auction.

Once complete, the wind farm will be the largest in the state. Mr Rattenbury said the wind farm will bring many local investment benefits.

“As we have seen with other renewable projects, there will be significant flow-on benefits to the Canberra region through this wind farm,” Mr Rattenbury said.

The wind farm is owned by CWP Renewables: a joint venture between two European renewable energy companies. It has so far developed over 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity in Australia.

“These include the relocation of CWP Renewables’ Asset and Operations Centre to Canberra, with employment of at least 24 people by 2022, and the establishment of a microgrid export business in the ACT.

“CWP Renewables is also scoping the possibility of offering a local investment opportunity in the wind farm for its neighbours which is a partnership model that has been successfully used in some other wind farm developments in Australia,” Mr Rattenbury added.

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Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases

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