Ark Energy pulls out wind proposal from federal environmental assessment

The project approval has been pending for almost three years.

Ark Energy has withdrawn its Wooroora Station Wind Farm project proposal from the federal environmental assessment process due to delays in the approval, adding that the project is unlikely to be approved.

In a statement, Ark Energy said the proposal, which involves 42 wind turbines with a capacity of almost 300 megawatts, had been under an environmental assessment process with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for almost three years since 2021.

It had already secured development consent from the Queensland Government and has undergone major redesigns to minimise environmental impact. However, the DCCEEW has extended its decision five times, with the latest date to 25 June 2024.

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Damian Vermey, project lead and Acting General Manager Development Queensland, said indications from the department showed that the project is unlikely to be approved despite the company’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

“After consideration, we decided to withdraw the referral. A massive effort was made over many years to evolve a proposal that we believed offered significant benefits and environmental net gains, but we acknowledge others may have a different view," he said.