Australia built the largest wind power plant in the Southern Hemisphere

Australia's AGL Energy Group has signed an agreement with New Zealand's Meridian Energy Renewable Energy Company to build the southern hemisphere's largest wind power plant.

The new wind power plant built by Australia and New Zealand will be the largest
Southern Hemisphere. Artwork: The Age

According to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper , the construction cost of the factory amounted to about 900 million USD and is expected to be completed in early 2013. AGL and Meridian will contribute half of the construction cost on each side.

Located in Hamilton in western Victoria, with a capacity of up to 420 megawatts, the plant will provide electricity to more than 220,000 Victorian households, reducing 1.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to emissions. from 420,000 cars emitted on the road.

AGL chief executive Michael Fraser said: "By using wind engines 140 Vestas V112-3.0 megawatt, we have been able to increase the capacity of factories and still reduce the number of towers from 174 to 140 towers. This will reduce the project's environmental impact and save $ 30 million for operating costs of each propeller for at least 25 years . "

According to AGL, the factory construction process will create 400 regular jobs and 800 indirect jobs. When the factory is completed, there will be 30 professionals recruited to work full time to run.

Australia is a relatively slow country in wind power. Activities in this area only started from 2009 onwards, particularly in June 2010 when the Senate mandated national energy to use 20% of renewable energy until 2020. Australia is one of the countries with the world's largest per capita greenhouse gas emissions, using 80% electricity based on electricity.