The MacIntyre Wind Farm in southwestern Queensland has become the largest operational wind farm in both Australia and the southern hemisphere, with the first 27 of its turbines now connected to the national electricity grid.
The massive project, valued at $2 billion, will play a critical role in expanding Queensland’s renewable energy capacity.
Throughout October, the newly connected turbines will begin progressively delivering renewable power, marking a significant step toward full operational capacity by the third quarter of 2025, when all 162 turbines will be online.
According to ACCIONA Energía Australia, the developer behind the project, once fully operational, the MacIntyre Wind Farm will nearly double Queensland’s wind energy generation, producing enough electricity to power more than 600,000 homes annually.
The MacIntyre Wind Farm is part of the broader MacIntyre Wind Precinct, which also includes the proposed Herries Range Wind Farm.
Together, these projects are set to generate nearly 2 gigawatts of renewable energy—enough to power over one million homes.
A key player in the venture is Ark Energy, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc, which holds a joint stake in the project.
Ark Energy plans to utilise a portion of the wind farm’s energy to decarbonise its Sun Metals zinc refinery in Townsville, positioning the facility to become the world’s first green zinc producer, powered entirely by renewable energy, by 2040.
Additionally, the wind farm has secured two substantial power purchase agreements, totaling 550 megawatts, with Queensland state-owned energy companies Stanwell and CleanCo.
During its construction phase, the $680 million project injected significant economic benefits into the local community.
More than $115 million in contracts were awarded to over 80 businesses in the Darling Downs region, and at the project’s peak, it employed more than 1000 workers.
Subscribe to Energy Today for the latest project and industry news.