Collgar Wind Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Collgar Wind Farm |
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Collgar Wind Farm in 2019
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Near Merredin |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | June 2010 |
| Commission date | March 2012 |
| Construction cost | A$750m |
| Owner(s) | Retail Employees Superannuation Trust |
| Website [www.collgarwindfarm.com.au] |
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The Collgar Wind Farm is a very large power station that uses wind to make electricity. It is located in Western Australia, about 25 kilometres south-east of a town called Merredin. This wind farm is the biggest of its kind in Western Australia.
It has 111 giant wind turbines. Each turbine is like a huge windmill. Together, they can produce 222 megawatts (MW) of power. This amount of electricity is enough to power many homes! The Collgar Wind Farm started working fully in October 2011. It is expected to generate clean energy for about 30 years.
Contents
How the Wind Farm Started
Building a big wind farm takes a lot of planning. Studies to see if the area was suitable happened between 2006 and 2008. The plans for the wind farm were officially approved in September 2008.
Construction and Ownership
Construction of the Collgar Wind Farm began in June 2010. The wind farm was connected to the main electricity grid in April 2011. The first 50 turbines started making power in May 2011. By October 2011, all the turbines were working.
The company that owns the wind farm changed over time. In March 2010, Collgar Wind Farm Pty Ltd was sold to two groups. Later, in June 2019, a group called Retail Employees Superannuation Trust became the only owner.
Power Upgrades
When the wind farm first started, its turbines were set to produce a bit less power. They were limited to 1.856 MW each. This meant the total output was 206 MW. However, in March and April 2020, the turbines were adjusted. They were returned to their original design capacity of 2.0 MW each. This change increased the wind farm's total power output to its current 222 MW.
How Much Power It Makes
The Collgar Wind Farm produces a lot of electricity. On average, between 2012 and 2020, it generated about 665.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity each year. This shows how much clean energy it contributes to the power grid.
