Victoria getting largest wind farm in southern hemisphere: 1,333 MW + 300 MW battery

Renewables developer TagEnergy announced it had achieved financial closure on the second stage of the Golden Plains Wind Farm in Victoria, Australia, a $2.7 billion mega-project that will become the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere.

The 1,333 MW farm -- comprising a 756 MW capacity Stage 1 (currently under construction) and a 577 MW Stage 2 -- will deliver nine percent of Victoria's energy when completed in the middle of 2027. It will feature a 300 MW battery storage facility to add flexibility and stability to the grid. 

TagEnergy said it secured non-recourse finance from a "global group of clean energy transition lenders" who included the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Australia's green bank), the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac, Denmark's Export & Investment Fund, Japan's Mizuho Bank, France's Natixis Bank, the Bank of China and Germany's Deutsche Bank. 

Construction would begin on 93 wind turbine generators that will be set up in Stage 2 of the project, TagEnergy said. The company announced it had entered into an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Vestas for the wind turbines, appointed AusNet Services to undertake grid connection work, and named WestWind Energy as asset manager for the project. The project will use Vestas' V162-6.2 MW wind turbines from the EnVentus platform.

Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 1 is expected to begin producing green energy in the first quarter of 2025, with Stage 2 to follow in mid-2027. Once complete, the wind farm will provide enough clean energy to power more than 750,000 homes – the equivalent of every home in regional Victoria.

Andrew Riggs, Managing Partner – Australia for TagEnergy said in a statement: "This mega-project materially improves Victoria's energy security, puts downward pressure on electricity costs and dramatically reduces carbon pollution."

He praised the project partners, pointing out: "The diligence and expertise of the grid connection teams at Vestas and AEMO Victoria who leveraged best practices developed during the adjacent 756 MW Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 1 connection process reduced the assessment period from nine months to five months."

Danny Nielsen Senior Vice President at Vestas and Country Head of Australia & New Zealand, commented: "Vestas is delighted to build and service this landmark project – our largest onshore wind farm currently under construction in the world."