Walkaway Wind Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alinta 'Walkaway' Wind Farm |
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Walkaway, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 28°53′53″S 114°52′7″E / 28.89806°S 114.86861°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | Late 2004 |
| Commission date | January 2006 |
| Owner(s) | Infigen Energy |
| Operator(s) | Infigen Energy |
The Alinta Wind Farm, also known as the Walkaway Wind Farm, is a large power station that uses wind to create electricity. It is located near Walkaway, just south of Geraldton in Western Australia. This important wind farm helps provide power to homes and businesses.
The wind farm is owned and operated by Infigen Energy. It sells the electricity it produces to companies like Alinta Energy and AGL Energy.
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Powering Up with Wind
The Alinta Wind Farm has a total power capacity of 89.1 megawatts. This means it can produce a lot of electricity when the wind blows. The power generated here helps supply homes and businesses in Perth and the south west of Western Australia. This area is part of a large electricity network called the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
How the Wind Farm Works
The Alinta Wind Farm uses 54 large wind turbines to capture the wind's energy. Each turbine has blades that spin when the wind blows. This spinning motion turns a generator inside the turbine, which then creates electricity. The electricity is then sent through power lines to where it is needed.
Clean Energy for a Better Future
Using wind to make electricity is a very clean way to get power. Each year, the Alinta Wind Farm generates enough energy to prevent 360,150 tonnes of greenhouse gases from being released into the air. Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. If this electricity were made using fossil fuels like coal or gas, it would create these harmful gases. The amount of greenhouse gases avoided is like taking 76,000 cars off the road!
Who Uses the Power?
Most of the electricity produced by the Alinta Wind Farm is bought by Alinta Energy. This company then supplies the power to its customers. These agreements help ensure that the clean energy from the wind farm is used to power homes and businesses.
A Quick Hiccup
In June 2022, one of the wind turbines at the farm had an issue and collapsed. Because of this, the entire wind farm had to be temporarily shut down for safety checks and repairs. This was a temporary situation, and the wind farm was able to get back to providing clean energy.
