Project Overview

The St Patricks Plains Wind Farm is a proposed renewable energy project in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, about 10 km south-east of Miena and 25km north of Bothwell, in the Central Highlands Local Government Area. The main north-south transmission corridor between Launceston and Hobart is adjacent.

The project will consist of up to 44 wind turbines, each with a maximum blade tip height of 231 metres and a combined maximum capacity of up to 273MW. The project is expected to generate approximately 842,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year of clean, renewable energy — enough to power more than 98,000 average Tasmanian homes for a year.

The project is proposed to connect to the electricity network via a new substation to the on-site Palmerston to Waddamana powerlines owned by TasNetworks. The wind farm will deliver renewable, low-cost energy, transmitting electricity both north and south depending on the needs of the network.

Transport of turbine blades, towers, and electrical equipment and movement of construction vehicles to the project site will follow a proven route. However, some existing roads and infrastructure will need minor upgrades, and new access tracks will be constructed within the site as part of the proposed project.

The proposed wind farm will be designed to minimise potential visual and noise impacts to landowners and residents in the area. Much of the project area is currently, and will continue to be, used for livestock grazing and has been cleared of trees and other vegetation, meaning the potential for impacts to flora and fauna is greatly reduced.