The biggest wind farm in Australia is going to be built in the far western part of the New South Wales. The state government has given approval for the project in Silverton, near Broken Hill. It will consist of some 600 wind turbines, that will generate energy equivalent to the consumption of about 200,000 average households. The Australian government is hoping the AUD 2.2 billion project will help secure the energy needs of NSW in the future.

Computer generated representation of the wind farm near Broken Hill.

Construction on the Silverton Wind Farm Developments will generate some 700 jobs and contribute to the economy of the region, but also provide clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. After commissioning the project will employ about 120 people permanently.

The wind farm was proposed back in 2007 by renewable energy group Epuron, part of the Macquarie Group. The first stage of the construction was approved under conditions regarding noise guidelines, visual amenity, limited environmental impacts that Epuron had to meet. Stage one involved the erection of 282 wind turbines, with hundreds more to come by the final stage.

So far, New South Wales has approved 14 wind farms, totalling in 2486 MW since 2005.