The blueprint for the construction of giant wind turbines has been laid out on the vast farmland around the town of Volaknabel in northwestern Victoria. On October 15, 2026, the Victorian government officially approved the state-level development application for Volaknabel Energy Park. This planned super wind power project is about to become the largest wind farm in Australia and is also expected to enter the first tier of wind power projects in the southern hemisphere.

1.5GW level super wind power project landing state-level approval

The project is developed by WestWind Energy, a local renewable energy company in Australia. The site is located in Alambiak County, northwest Victoria, about 5 kilometers away from the town of Volaknabel. It covers an area of approximately 26000 hectares of agricultural land, divided into two regions: north and south. Infrastructure such as roads and wind turbine foundations actually occupy only 1% to 2% of the site. The total investment of the project exceeds 5 billion Australian dollars, approximately 23.2 billion Chinese yuan. It plans to install up to 219 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of approximately 1575 megawatts, a single unit capacity of 7 to 8 megawatts, a maximum blade tip height of 280 meters, and a maximum impeller diameter of 200 meters.

The project is equipped with two sets of battery energy storage systems, each with a capacity of 300 to 600 megawatt hours. The expected annual power generation is about 5500 gigawatt hours, which is equivalent to 11.8% to 12.5% of Victoria's future electricity demand. It can meet the electricity needs of about 1.2 million households, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.2 million tons per year, and have an operating life of up to 30 years. In terms of power grid connection, the project will connect the north and south regions through 290 kilometers of underground cables and 21 kilometers of overhead lines, and then connect to the existing Murra Warra substation through 13 kilometers of transmission lines, integrating into the national power market at a voltage of 220 kV.

The milestone of energy transformation still needs to overcome multiple obstacles

The Victorian government positions this project as a key pillar in lowering electricity prices and achieving renewable energy goals. The local plan is to achieve a renewable energy share of 65% by 2030 and increase it to 95% by 2035. Against the backdrop of traditional coal-fired power plants gradually retiring, the project is a core milestone in Victoria's energy transformation. The project also promises to establish a community revenue fund, with a cumulative contribution of over 12 million Australian dollars during the operation period. It is expected to create approximately 950 jobs during the construction period and provide 35 long-term jobs during the operation period.

During the project implementation process, there were also obvious local controversies. The local council was concerned that the influx of a large number of construction workers would exacerbate the shortage of local housing, medical services, and road carrying pressure. The federal environmental approval process had previously been temporarily suspended, and the assessment agency required the developer to supplement relevant information such as bird collision risks. State approval does not mean that the project can start immediately. Only with the final permit issued by the federal government in accordance with the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act can the project officially commence construction. According to the current plan, the project will start construction as early as 2027, with a construction period of 4 to 5 years, and the goal is to achieve full commercial operation by 2031. Keywords: wind power, new energy projects

On the vast inland plains of Australia, the landing process of giant wind turbines is still steadily advancing. This leading wind power project in the southern hemisphere will ultimately inject core power into Victoria's energy transformation.Editor/Cheng Liting