Four of 30 new turbines at Warradarge wind farm in the Mid West installed, construction to be finished in 2027

Construction is gathering momentum at the Warradarge wind farm in the Mid West, with four of 30 extra wind turbines erected as regional councils rally together to ensure their communities benefit from the renewable energy transition.

Giant Meccano-like sets of blades, tower sections, hubs and nacelle have been trucked to the site near Eneabba.

The 30 additional turbines will join the wind farm’s existing 51 turbines, which once up and running will generate up to 283MW of clean energy — enough to power about 164,000 households — and cementing its status as WA’s biggest wind farm.

All of the 30 new turbines are expected to be installed by August this year. The commissioning process will then take place before they are all connected and operational.

The expansion — a part of the Cook Government’s exit from coal-fired power by 2030 — is scheduled to be complete in 2027.

Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the Mid West was a key component in WA becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.

“Wind turbines going up as part of the expansion is our renewable energy transformation taking shape, delivering jobs, economic diversification and clean energy,” she said.

“Warradarge wind farm stage two will deliver more renewable energy for households and businesses, while work to expand the SWIS transmission grid will unlock more renewable energy from the Mid West.”

The project is also delivering job opportunities, with more than 120 workers onsite during the peak construction period, including crane operators, electricians, riggers, transport specialists and project support roles.

Warradarge wind farm is owned by Bright Energy Investments, a joint venture between government-owned Synergy and Potentia Energy.

The exponential growth in renewable energy projects has prompted local governments, including those in the Mid West, to call for a fair slice of the pie to be locked in for their communities.

In a joint statement signed by 40 regional councils, the plea is for proposed renewable energy projects to feature community benefit funds for the communities hosting their ventures.

The shires of Dandaragan, Northampton, Chapman Valley, Mingenew, Coorow and Carnamah are among the signatories.

The submission states local governments strongly support the renewable energy transition and the State and Commonwealth targets it underpins.

However, it states community benefits must be “compulsory, secure and fair, not discretionary or vulnerable to future policy shifts or white board politics”.

Shire of Dandaragan president Tony O’Gorman said local governments were best placed to understand the needs of their specific communities and should not be reliant on the goodwill of energy companies.

“The Shire of Dandaragan is already actively engaged with a number of renewable energy proponents who have committed to establishing community benefit funds for the communities hosting their projects,” he said.

“These projects demonstrate that when proponents engage early and work transparently with local government and communities, community benefits can be structured in a way that is fair, enduring and locally relevant.

“What’s missing is a consistent, mandatory framework to ensure this approach is applied across the board.”

Shire of Northampton president Liz Sudlow said the community benefits should be allocated to where the renewable energy was generated and stored.

“Decisions about local futures should not be made by centralised agencies or by bureaucrats sitting in Perth, on our behalf, however ‘strategic’ those decisions may be presented,” she said.

The local governments recommend that the companies have a fixed contribution per megawatt formula, to determine community benefit associated with wind power, solar array and energy storage.