Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm |
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|---|---|
| Location | Lower Eyre Peninsula, South Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°51′S 135°35′E / 34.850°S 135.583°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 2004 |
| Commission date | 2007 |
| Owner(s) | EnergyAustralia and Acciona |
The Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is a special place that uses wind to make electricity. It's located in South Australia, about 30 kilometers (that's about 18 miles) west of a town called Port Lincoln. This wind farm is on the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula, a beautiful coastal area.
This amazing wind farm has 33 giant wind turbines. Each turbine can make 2 MW of power. Together, they can produce enough electricity to power many homes! The whole area where the wind farm sits is about 29 square kilometers (that's roughly 11 square miles). It's built on private farmland, right next to the coast.
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What is the Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm?
The Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is a large-scale project that helps create clean energy. It uses the natural power of the wind to generate electricity, which is then sent to homes and businesses. This helps reduce the need for power from fossil fuels, which are not good for the environment.
How Does a Wind Farm Work?
Wind farms like Cathedral Rocks use tall wind turbines to catch the wind. When the wind blows, it spins the huge blades of the turbine. These spinning blades turn a generator inside the turbine, which then creates electricity. It's a bit like how a bicycle dynamo works, but on a much bigger scale!
How Much Power Does it Make?
The Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm has 33 turbines. Each one can produce 2 megawatts (MW) of electricity. When all 33 turbines are working together, they can generate a total of 66 MW of power. This is a lot of clean energy!
Building the Wind Farm
Building a big wind farm like Cathedral Rocks takes a lot of planning and hard work. It's not just about putting up turbines; it's also about making sure the project is good for the environment and the local community.
Planning and Studies
Before construction began, many studies were done. These studies looked at different things to make sure the wind farm would be built in the best way possible.
- Environment: Experts checked the area for plants and animals to make sure they wouldn't be harmed.
- History: They also looked for important Aboriginal and European historical sites.
- Noise and Views: Studies were done to see how much noise the turbines would make and how they would look from different places.
Construction Timeline
The construction of the Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm started in 2004. It took a few years to build all the turbines and get everything ready.
- The first turbines started making electricity in late 2005.
- By 2007, the entire wind farm was fully working and producing power.
Who Runs the Wind Farm?
The Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is run by two companies working together. They are called EnergyAustralia and Acciona Energy. They make sure the turbines are working well and that electricity is being sent out.
