Sapphire Wind Farm

The Sapphire Wind Farm is a large-scale renewable energy project which provides enough clean energy to power around 115,000 homes and displaces 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.  It is located in the Kings Plains area of New South Wales, 18 kilometres west of Glen Innes and 28 kilometres east of Inverell, New South Wales. The project comprises 75 x Vestas V126 3.6 MW wind turbine generators with a blade tip height of are 200 m.  The wind farm site is located in the Local Government Areas (LGA) of Glen Innes Severn and Inverell.

For full assessment information on the project, please visit the Department of Planning and Environment website.

Construction

The project was delivered by the following contractors:

• Vestas (wind turbine supply and install) – vestas.com
• Zenviron (civil and electrical balance of plant) – zenviron.com
• TransGrid (substation) – transgrid.com.au

The Operator

Sapphire Wind Farm was developed by CWP Renewables.

CWP Renewables is a leading renewable energy developer, owner and asset manager with full project life-cycle expertise. Recognised as a leader in the renewable energy sector CWP Renewables holds a wealth of experience in the renewable energy sector, accumulated through the successful delivery of projects in Europe and Australia.

CWP Renewables is a full-scope renewable energy developer who develop and own utility-scale renewable energy facilities incorporating wind, solar and storage technologies, oversee project delivery and commissioning, and provide long-term operational asset management services.

The CWP Renewables team is geographically with staff based in Newcastle and Sydney (NSW), Adelaide (SA) Canberra (ACT), with generation sites at Boco Rock (NSW), Claremont (QLD) and Wemen (Vic) and construction offices at Crudine Ridge Wind Farm near Mudgee and Bango Wind Farm near Yass.

CWP began its life in 2007 in Europe, where it developed a pipeline of projects in Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria. CWP developed the 600 MW Fantenele Wind Farm in Romania, which was constructed between 2010 and 2012 and remains the largest onshore wind farm in Europe.

CWP Renewables was established in Australia in 2007 and has since developed an industry-leading pipeline with a number of assets maturing into construction and operation. Our development pipeline continues to grow with over 1,300 MW of wind, solar and battery projects currently under development in eastern Australia, and 9,000 MW under development through the Asian Renewable Energy Hub project in Western Australia.

CWP Renewables also provides dedicated asset management services with 582 MW of projects under construction and/or operations. This includes projects we have developed ourselves and projects developed and owned by third parties

Community Consultative Committee

CWP’s Community Consultative Committee (CCC) is a direct link with the community: host landowners, community members, representatives from both Inverell and Glen Innes Severn Shire Councils, and project members. The CCC meets twice a year:

• Foster positive working relationships
• Provide an open forum for discussion
• Share information
• Respond to any questions or concerns.

More information on the CCC can be found at https://www.sapphirewindfarm.com.au/community/community-consultative-committee/, including committee member names, meeting minutes and upcoming meeting dates.

Community Benefit Fund

The Sapphire Wind Farm Community Fund S355 Committee aims to support initiatives that strengthen the local community through projects that deliver community benefits through the funding of grants within the boundaries of the Inverell Shire Council local Government area.

View information about potential funding for your organisation and past recipients on the Sapphire Wind Farm Community Fund page.

What’s next…Sapphire Solar Farm: Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy project

Sapphire Solar Farm is an approved development co-located with the Sapphire Wind Farm.  No date for construction has been set yet.

As a c 200 MW hybrid solar and battery power facility, the planned development will represent Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy project. The project will connect wind and solar generation with battery storage, expanding the credentials of New South Wales’ New England region as a leader in renewable energy.

When complete, the Sapphire Solar Farm would provide enough energy to power 68,000 average Australian homes a year. It would also play a vital role in helping the Australian Government meet the COP21 emissions target reduction of 26-28% by 2030 and support New South Wales’ climate change policy.

The facility perfectly complements the Sapphire Wind Farm allowing the up to 170 MW of merchant wind generation to also be stored and dispatched with solar energy.