Emu Downs Wind Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emu Downs Wind Farm |
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Wind turbine at Emu Downs
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 30°30′S 115°20′E / 30.500°S 115.333°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | November 2005 |
| Commission date | October 2006 |
| Construction cost | A$180m |
| Owner(s) | APA Group |
The Emu Downs Wind Farm (30°30′S 115°20′E / 30.500°S 115.333°E) is a large wind farm in Western Australia. It creates 79.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This wind farm was first built by two companies working together.
It is located about 200 km (120 mi) north of Perth, near a town called Cervantes. Building the wind farm cost about $180 million. Construction started in November 2005 and it began making power in October 2006.
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What is Emu Downs Wind Farm?
The Emu Downs Wind Farm has 48 large wind turbines. Each turbine can make 1.65 MW of power. The farm also has a substation to connect to the main electricity grid. There are also buildings for offices and storage, plus roads for access.
The wind farm is built close to the coast. This area has strong, steady winds. These winds are best when people need the most power. The wind usually blows from the east in the mornings. In the afternoons, a strong sea breeze called the Fremantle Doctor blows from the west.
How it Helps the Community
The Emu Downs Wind Farm sends its electricity to the main power grid. This grid supplies homes and businesses. About 260 km (160 mi) south of the wind farm is the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant. This plant turns ocean water into fresh drinking water. The wind farm helps power this important plant. It helps make nearly 152 million litres (40 million gallons) of drinking water every day.
The Emu Downs Wind Farm is officially recognized by the Australian Government. It is known as a "Green Power Generator." This means it produces clean energy. In 2007, a company called Transfield Services bought half of the wind farm. Later, in 2011, the APA Group bought the entire wind farm for $170 million.
Working with Solar Power
When the APA Group took over Emu Downs, they noticed something. The wind farm's power output would sometimes drop in the middle of the day. This happened when the wind changed direction. To fix this, APA Group built the 20 MW Emu Downs Solar Farm right next to the wind farm.
The solar farm makes the most power when the sun is brightest. This is usually when the wind farm's power is lower. Because of this, they didn't need to build new connections to the power grid. The solar farm started working in December 2017.
Both the wind and solar farms sell their power to a company called Synergy. They have a contract until the year 2030. Another wind farm, the 130 MW Badgingarra Wind Farm, was finished nearby in 2019. It uses newer technology to produce even more power.
How Much Power is Made?
The Emu Downs Wind Farm has been making electricity since September 2006. Here is a table showing how much power it has generated in megawatt-hours (MWh). This data comes from official records.
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| 2006 | 71,113 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5,056 | 20,605 | 19,574 | 25,878 |
| 2007 | 250,864 | 21,724 | 17,443 | 27,764 | 16,301 | 15,424 | 28,522 | 25,814 | 15,479 | 13,261 | 20,693 | 21,205 | 27,234 |
Note: An asterisk means the power output was limited during that month.
