Jobs boost in Geelong with VIC wind farm developments

Geelong will be seeing new industries and jobs with two new wind farm projects that are supported by the Victorian Government’s Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) reverse auction.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio has announced the development of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub (VREH) in Geelong. The hub will be building the wind turbines required for the 180MW Berrybank Wind Farm and the 336MW Dundonnell Wind Farm, which Vestas has been appointed to supply the wind turbines.

“These wind farms will not only drive down energy prices across Victoria, they will create jobs here in Geelong,” the Minister said.

Berrybank Wind Farm will require 47 turbines and Dundonnell Wind Farm will need 80 turbines. The two projects are anticipated to utilise 64 per cent local content under the State Government’s Victorian Industry Participation Policy.

With the development of VREH, up to 27 locals will be employed together with hundreds of staff to be trained in wind turbine maintenance. VREH is also expected to support local wind turbine manufacturing in the country for the first time in more than a decade.

The VREH development will include:

• A Wind Turbine Manufacturing Facility for the assembly of 100 turbine hubs and 50 drive trains for the Dundonnell and Berrybank projects
• The Western Victorian Service Support Centre to service the successful VRET projects and existing Vestas projects in MacArthur and Challicum Hills
• Wind Turbine Technician Training through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Federation University to support the Ballarat Renewable Energy Training Centre (BRETC), training at least 20 technicians per year
• Australian main Component Logistics and Maintenance Centre to house wind turbine major components
• The Wind Carbon Research Partnership with Carbon Nexus, a Deakin University initiative to research the next generation of carbon fibre specifically for use in wind turbine blades

Vestas has also signed an agreement with Geelong Port for the of its shipping facilities as well as 40,000-SQM of laydown area at Corio Quay South to support the long-term investment in renewable energy in the State.

“This hub will bring more local jobs to Geelong in an industry that is only going to get bigger,” Member for Geelong Christine Couzens said.

The Victorian Government’s first renewable energy auction is expected to generate up to 900MW of green power that will help reduce energy prices for Victorian households. The projects supported by the auction are set to generate up to $1.1 billion of economic investment for local communities together with more than 900 jobs that will include 270 apprenticeships and traineeships.

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Source: Premier of Victoria