Australian utility to build country's biggest wind farm - Yahoo! News

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) announced that it would build the country's largest wind farm as part of efforts to meet its legal obligation to invest in renewable energy.

AGL, Australia's biggest energy retailer, said the 95 megawatt facility would cost 236 million dollars (177 million US dollars) and use 45 wind turbines over an area of 14 square kilometers (5.6 square miles) near the town of Hallett in South Australia.

The wind farm will be adjacent to an existing 180 megawatt gas-fired peaking power plant operated by AGL and is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2007, it said.

The wind turbines will be integrated with the gas-fired power station by using existing infrastructure, ensuring continuous operation during periods of high electricity demand.

AGL chief executive Greg Martin said the project would help the company meet its commitment to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources.

It will also contribute to AGL's obligations under the federal government's mandatory renewable energy target scheme.

Construction of the wind farm is expected to start in September 2006.

Australia's largest wind farm now is a 91 megawatt facility at Wattle Point in South Australia, which AGL also owns following its acquisition of Southern Hydro in October 2005.

AGL last year announced plans to demerge its retail and merchant energy assets from its infrastructure assets into two separate businesses, AGL Energy and AGL Infrastructure.

It said Tuesday that the two new companies planned to cooperate in the building and operation of additional wind farms.

Plans for the new wind farm projects would be elaborated after the demerger plan is presented to shareholders for approval in March, it said.

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