SA wind and solar boom: almost 13 GW proposed west of Whyalla
Four companies proposed almost 13 gigawatts of new wind and solar. They would cover more than 3,300 square kilometres west of Whyalla.
South Australia announced four major renewable energy projects on Sunday. These would more than quadruple the state's wind and solar ambitions.
Windlab is proposing a 6 GW development, Altra Energy a 4.7 GW project, Heron Energy a 1.6 GW wind farm, and Neoen a 360 MW solar farm. Together they cover more than 3,300 square kilometres of farming land in Barngala country west of Whyalla.
The state already generates 75 per cent of its annual electricity from wind and solar. Nearly 3 GW comes from large-scale wind and solar.
More than 2 GW comes from rooftop panels. These new projects would power the region's next heavy industry and attract new investment.
This would help replace jobs from the Whyalla Steelworks, which closed years ago. State energy minister Tom Koutsantonis said the proposals are at an early stage.
They represent a major opportunity for the region.
- almost 13 gigawatts
- Proposed capacity
- more than 3,300 square kilometres
- Area required
- nearly 3 GW
- Current grid-scale wind and solar
- 75 per cent annually
- Current renewable electricity share
Why it mattersThe development could let heavy industry operate without emissions. It would create jobs in a region struggling since the steelworks closed.
AustraliaSouth Australia's renewable boom offers a template for other states to power industrial growth without fossil fuels while rebuilding regional economies.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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