The Australian Government has said it will invest $99 million in a wind farm in South Australia to decarbonise the state’s Olympic Dam copper mine.
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Announced via the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water, the wind farm and grid-scale battery project will be developed by French renewable energy company Neoen as the second part of the Goyder South Stage 1 Wind Farm. The funding will be provided by the Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and, once complete, will play host to 76 wind turbines. According to CEFC CEO, Ian Learmonth, the challenge of reducing emissions across the economy “starts with the energy sector”.
“The offtake agreement with BHP demonstrates how reducing energy emissions accelerates decarbonisation across the economy,” he said. “This innovative solution to provide firmed green energy at Olympic Dam enables a significant energy user to progress its net zero goals while producing a critical mineral like copper more sustainably.”
News of the CEFC’s funding of the Goyder South Stage 1 Wind Farm comes after the Federal Government announced its realignment of projects prioritised in the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund, placing emphasis on providing funding for projects helping the country transition to net zero by 2050.
Operated by BHP, the fourth largest copper mine in the world will be supported by 238.5MW/477MWh of storage capacity developed by Neoen.
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