Blayney Wind Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blayney Wind Farm |
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|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Blayney, New South Wales |
| Coordinates | 33°37′19″S 149°11′54″E / 33.62194°S 149.19833°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | October 2000 |
| Construction cost | A$18 million |
| Owner(s) | Tilt Renewables |
The Blayney Wind Farm is a special place in New South Wales, Australia, where wind is used to make electricity. It's located near Blayney and Lake Carcoar. This farm has 15 large wind turbines. Together, they can produce 9.9 MW of electricity. Today, the wind farm is owned by a company called Tilt Renewables.
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How the Wind Farm Was Built
The Blayney Wind Farm was built by a company called Pacific Power International. The actual building work was done by Consolidated Power Projects Australia. The whole project cost about A$18 million.
The wind farm officially opened in October 2000. It was opened by the Minister for Energy at the time, Kim Yeadon.
Helping the Environment
Using wind power helps the environment a lot. Over its 20-year lifespan, the Blayney Wind Farm helps prevent 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from going into the air. This is a big deal because carbon dioxide is a gas that contributes to climate change. Making electricity from wind means we don't have to burn as much coal.
Wind Turbines and Their Size
The wind turbines at Blayney are specific models called Vestas V47-660 kW. Each turbine has a hub height of 45 metres. The hub is the part where the blades connect. The blades themselves create a circle (rotor diameter) that is 47 metres across.
When it was built in 2000, Blayney was the largest wind farm in Australia. However, many bigger wind farms have been built since then. Today, it's considered quite small compared to modern wind farms around the world.
Location and Visitors
The wind farm is located above Lake Carcoar and the Carcoar dam. This area is popular for fun activities. There's a special viewing area for visitors. You can go there to learn more about how the wind farm works.
The wind farm is built on land that has been used by families for grazing livestock for many years. The landowners get payments for having the turbines on their property. Even with the turbines, animals like sheep and cows still graze peacefully around the bases of the towers. Before building, an environmental study was done. This was to make sure the wind farm would not harm local activities or wildlife.
The electricity made at the Blayney Wind Farm goes into the main power grid. It also helps create special "renewable energy credits." These credits encourage more clean energy projects.
Images for kids
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Blayney Wind Farm
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Viewing area
