Hydro Tasmania insists the Musselroe wind farm in the state’s north-east can proceed without a joint venture partner.
After years of planning, work on the Musselroe Bay project will begin this month creating up to 200 jobs during the construction phase.
Hydro Tasmania chief executive, Roy Adair, says the wind farm will be able to power 50,000 homes.
“This increases our renewable energy capability and is an ideal partner for our hydro capability because clearly we can utilise the wind when its blowing and then we can utilise the hydro capability later and optimise the value of that hydro generation.”
“So its a vision that sits beautifully within our renewable energy vision,” he said.
Hydro will initially fund the project but says its preferred option is for Musselroe to be funded with the proceeds of a 75 per cent sale of the Woolnorth wind farm.
Hydro Tasmania chairman, Dr David Crean, says the company continues to search for a joint venture but can go it alone.
“We can build Musselroe on our balance sheet, Hydro Tasmania’s balance sheet is strong.”
“We are certainly commencing it on our balance sheet and we’re prepared to do the whole lot but we can take in a partner at any stage during construction and we’ll just wait and see how the bidding process finishes,” he said.
Preparation work has already been done at the site.
Launceston company Haywards will manufacture the tower section of the turbines while a Danish company will supply 56 turbines for the project.
