Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind has entered an agreement with Advanced Circular Polymers to provide renewable energy for Australia’s largest plastics recycling plant in Somerton, Victoria, Goldwind announced on July 3.

Power will be provided by the Moorabool Wind Farm project, currently being constructed by Goldwind.

The recycling plant, which has been partly funded by the Victorian Government, will transform large quantities of low-value contaminated mixed plastics from households into high-quality commodities that can go directly into the manufacturing of new products.

John Titchen, managing director for Goldwind Australia, said the Advanced Circular Polymers plant is leading the way in innovative technology and boosting Victoria’s economy.

“We are extremely pleased to have entered into a partnership with this custom-designed plant featuring cutting-edge technologies for resources utilization,” he says. “Recycling powered by renewable energy is a real step towards sustainability and will make a significant contribution towards Australia’s transition to a clean, renewable future.”

Goldwind’s Moorabool Wind Farm began construction in July 2018 and is progressing on many work fronts. All the wind turbine foundations have been excavated and all concrete pours have been completed. The civil earthworks activities are nearing completion. Deliveries of Goldwind wind turbine components to the project site is ongoing. Up to 20 staff will make up the permanent maintenance and operations team once the wind farm is complete.

Moorabool Wind Farm is located approximately 67 kilometres from Melbourne.

The Minster for Planning approved the construction and operation of 107 wind turbines. With the use of the latest turbine technology, the project is expected to produce 321 MW, approximately 1,000,000 MWh of electricity annually.

Elsewhere in Australia, Goldwind recently won the wind turbine supply contract for a wind, solar, battery and gas hybrid microgrid project to power the Agnew Gold Mine in Western Australia.

Goldwind announced that it has entered an agreement with Energy Developments Pty Ltd (EDL) to deliver the wind farm project at the Gold Fields Agnew Gold Mine hybrid renewable energy project in the northern goldfields region of Western Australia.

The Agnew project, which received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program, is the first Australian mine to use wind generation as part of a large hybrid microgrid.

The wind farm will consist of five GW140/3.57MW Goldwind wind turbines with a hub height of 110 metres and 18 megawatts generated capacity.

EDL is engaged to design, construct, own and operate the microgrid to power the Agnew Mine in two stages, under a 10-year agreement with Gold Fields.

Goldwind, together with Balance of Plant Joint Venture Partner NACAP, will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to the project. Goldwind will additionally provide warranty operations and maintenance during the operations period.