AGL starts work on 200-MW Silverton wind farm

Australian utility AGL Energy Ltd (ASX:AGL) said Tuesday it has started construction on the 200-MW Silverton wind farm near Broken Hill in northwestern New South Wales.

Using 58 GE 3.43-130 wind turbines, the AUD-450-million (USD 332m/EUR 303m) wind farm is expected to be fully operational by the middle of 2018.

AGL Silverton wind farm project manager Adam Mackett said that construction started on time and as expected. Once completed, the wind farm will be the largest in New South Wales and will generate about 780,000 MWh of power per year, enough to supply 137,000 average Australian homes, Mackett also said.

Financial close on the project was announced in January. Silverton is the first greenfield development for the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF), a partnership between AGL, investment manager QIC and the Future Fund, Australia's sovereign wealth fund.

The wind farm is being built by a joint venture consisting of General Electric Co (NYSE:GE) and CATCON.

(AUD 1 = USD 0.739/EUR 0.674)

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