General Expression of Interest

Summary and scope

Kondinin Wind Farm is being jointly developed by Foresight Group and Shell Energy. The initial stage of wind farm development is part of the larger development and project rights held by the joint venture, which includes approvals to develop up to 230 Mega Watts (MW) of wind; around 60 MW of solar power; and a battery energy storage system. The initial stage of wind farm development is for 130MW of wind, including 21 wind turbine generators. The Kondinin Wind and Solar Project is located 5km north-east of Kondinin in Western Australia. The project is ~270km east of Perth, in the midst of the West Australian wheatbelt. The project is an area with good wind and sun resources and close to the existing Western Power electrical substation on the 220 kilovolt (Kv) line and the Highway. The electricity produced by the project will flow directly into the existing Kondinin substation, located nearby, and then into the Western Power network. Foresight Group and Shell Energy have a successful track record partnering on the Neerabup Power Station, which is a 330MW gas-fired generator located in Perth. The construction of the wind and solar project will help contribute to a thriving economy in the Kondinin region and take up to two years to fully complete. The construction workforce is expected to peak at 145 people.It is anticipated the majority of construction jobs will be filled by workers from the Kondinin shire and adjoining regions wherever possible. The balance of this workforce, including specialist roles, is likely to be recruited from elsewhere in WA and interstate. A worker accommodation strategy will help mitigate any impacts on existing local accommodation. Once the wind and solar farm is operational, it is expected a small number of permanent staff will be employed to carry out operations and maintenance activities. The Wind and Solar farm is predicted to generate on average around 500 GWh of electricity every year. This renewable energy avoids the production of around 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. The wind and solar resource measurements undertaken indicate the wind is predominantly from the south-east and is strongest overnight. Therefore, the combination of wind and solar power is complementary. It is expected that construction will commence in 2027 and that the initial stage of the wind farm be ready for commercial operations in 2029.