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Background

For decades Denmark has been supplied with electricity via the South West Integrated System (SWIS) or southern electricity grid, generated by coal and gas-fired power stations more than 400km away.

Being near the end of such a long transmission line, Denmark continues to experience power quality and reliability issues, including occasional extended blackouts in some areas. Population growth and more appliances being connected means that the need for a more reliable supply has reached a critical level.

The windfarm will feed into the grid, helping to improve its electrical quality and reliability, reducing Denmark’s “carbon footprint”, and delivering social and environmental benefits.

An aerial view of Wilson head, looking southwest. The imposed WEF zone and turbines indicate approximately where the windfarm will be in relation to the surrounding area. (Click to enlarge).

Western Power, which is responsible for maintaining the State’s energy infrastructure, considers the windfarm the centrepiece of its multimillion dollar program to upgrade the local power network over the next few years.

Denmark homes and businesses currently consume in the order of eight gigawatt hours (GWhr) of electricity annually, which costs about $1m. The windfarm will supply about 40% of this demand, and prevent about 6000 thousand tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) entering the atmosphere each year – the equivalent of taking about 1500 cars permanently off the road.

It will also:

• generate funds that will stay in the community
• create local employment during construction
• provide a model for other rural communities to follow
• have spinoff benefits such as education, consultancies and tourism.

Two 800kW wind-turbine generators will be erected at Wilson Head, south of the existing limes and quarry, on an area within A-class Reserve 24913. The windfarm and associated infrastructure will take up about one hectare – less than 1% of the reserve – and be more than 3km from the nearest permanent residences – three times the distance deemed acceptable for visibility and noise issues.

This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.
The Program is implemented by the State's Office of Energy in Western Australia.