Wind farm stripped and landscape restored at Esperance site
Two Esperance wind farms were decommissioned. They have been replanted with native trees. Local Aboriginal groups supported the work over one year.
The Ten Mile Lagoon and Nine Mile Beach wind farms are on Western Australia's south coast. They have been returned to natural landscape.
Ten Mile Lagoon operated since 1993. Nine Mile Beach operated since 2004.
Both were decommissioned in 2022 when repowering was ruled out. Synergy and the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation spent the past year on this work.
They collected native seeds and planted eucalyptus, melaleuca, and flowering shrubs across the site. Rather than waste the turbines, Synergy donated them in different ways.
Two went to North Metropolitan TAFE for student training. Six went to local farms for power.
Six more will go to farm sites. The concrete tower foundations were given to a local contractor for reuse.
Synergy will check on the site for several years. They will help vegetation grow.
- 1993
- Ten Mile Lagoon commissioned
- 2004
- Nine Mile Beach commissioned
- 2022
- Decommissioned
- One year
- Restoration period
Why it mattersThe project shows how decommissioned energy sites can be fully restored. Turbines can be reused in new ways. This offers a blueprint for Australia. Older wind farms will reach the end of their lives soon.
AustraliaThe successful restoration demonstrates that wind farm sites in Australia can return to natural landscape, and that end-of-life equipment can be reused locally rather than discarded.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 57 min ago
Open this story in InSnip →
