Aussie wind farm of 80 MW backed by bulk PPA deal

A group of 14 companies, agencies and organizations have teamed up to underwrite a 80-MW wind project near Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria.

Members of the group have signed a joint long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) under which they will buy 88 GWh, or about one third of the plant’s output, the city of Melbourne announced. According to deputy mayor, Arron Wood, the group purchasing model, which is used for the first time in Australia, “can be replicated all over Australia and internationally.”

The 80-MW project, named the Crowlands wind farm, will be situated in Western Victoria’s Pyrenees Shire Council. The 39-turbine facility will be owned and operated by Australian renewable energy company Pacific Hydro. The generated electricity will be supplied by its retail unit Tango Energy. The plant’s output that will not be bought under the PPA will be sold into the market.

The Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP) group is led by the City of Melbourne. Among its members are the University of Melbourne, City of Port Phillip, Bank Australia, Zoos Victoria, National Australia Bank and Australia Post.

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