DP Energy has been awarded Development Approval (DA) for its Callide Wind Farm project by the State Assessment Referral Agency. 

The project, which will be located in the Calliope Range approximately 22km north north-east of Biloela and 75km west south-west of Gladstone and in the Banana Shire Council local government area, has the potential for a capacity of 430MW and is expected to produce enough energy to power around 130,000 average Queensland households. 

The Callide Wind Farm will create direct employment opportunities during construction and operation, as well as indirect opportunities through increased demand for local products, materials, and services. 

Commenting on the milestone, Hugh Cantwell, DP Energy Australia’s Head of Projects said: 
“We are delighted to have been awarded Development Approval for our Callide Wind Farm project in Queensland. This marks a significant milestone in the project’s lifecycle, and the DP Energy Australia team look forward to the next phases of the project, with the ultimate goal of creating a greener future for Queensland.”

Established over 30 years ago, DP Energy have developed over 1GW of built renewable energy projects across Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK and have a current project pipeline of over 9GW. DP Energy’s lead and announced Australian projects include the now operational 320MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park in South Australia, and the Euston Wind Farm project in New South Wales.

Located in the Calliope Range approximately 75km west south west of Gladstone in the Banana Shire Council local government area.
    
The proposed Callide Wind Farm project has the potential for an installed wind turbine capacity of some 430MW, comprising both permanent and temporary elements.

Key components would include the following:

• Some 70 wind turbines with a generating capacity of 5-6MW each and a tip height of around 250m;
• One or more site substations to collect the power generated from the turbines and to export to the transmission network;
• Wind farm site tracks;
• Temporary and permanent wind monitoring masts to measure the wind speed and direction for calculating energy levels;
• Access from the Dawson Highway; and
• Temporary construction facilities including construction compounds and wash-down facilities.

The predicted life of the project is approximately thirty years after which time the equipment will either be removed and the site reinstated or refurbished with new equipment.

In September 2023 the project was granted Development Approval by the Queensland Government.

The project is currently being assessed by the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Construction is planned to commence in 2024.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: DP Energy