Australia's grid gets boost from MacIntyre Wind Farm

Once fully operational, the wind farm can power over 600,000 homes. 

Acciona Energía’s MacIntyre Wind Farm, which is the largest operating wind farm in Australia and the southern hemisphere, has started generating its first renewable energy for the national electricity grid.

The wind farm located in southwestern Queensland has 27 wind turbines connected to the energy grid, delivering their first clean power across Queensland and Australia, the company said. Energy exports to the grid will progressively ramp up as the site is commissioned.

Acciona said the project will have a total of 162 turbines and will almost double the total amount of wind energy generated in Queensland when fully operational in the third quarter of 2025.

“When the MacIntyre Wind Farm is fully operational, it will generate enough renewable energy to power more than 600,000 homes and double Queensland’s wind energy generation,” said Acciona Energia Managing Director Brett Wickham.

The remaining turbines will be connected over the next 12 months, with another batch of 27 turbines planned to be exporting energy by Christmas.

The wind project will also provide 550 megawatts of renewable energy to Stanwell Corporation and CleanCo, two Queensland Government-owned enterprises, under power purchase agreements (PPAs). These PPAs will support their efforts to decarbonise operations in infrastructure, resources, retail, and transport.

The MacIntyre Wind Farm is a joint-venture between Acciona and Ark Energy. The latter will use some of the generation from its share to support its sister company, Sun Metals Corporation and the Townsville refinery’s decarbonisation plans. 

Located in the Southern Downs outside Warwick, the Macintyre Wind Farm is part of the MacIntyre Wind Precinct along with the proposed Herries Range Wind Farm. When complete, the Precinct will generate approximately two gigawatts of renewable energy that can power more than a million homes.