Nyaninyuk windfarm near Clunes takes another step

The land identified for Nyaninyuk wind farm is between Waubra, Evansford and Mount Beckworth, about 12 kilometres west of Clunes.

The windfarm plans include up to 58 turbines with a height from the ground to the tip of the blades between 240 and 270 metres.

At 270 metres tall, they would be some of the tallest in the country.

The Rokewood wind farm, now under construction, will include turbines with a total height of 230 metres, while a proposed wind farm in Brewster, which is still waiting for ministerial approval, is expected to have turbines as tall as 250 metres.

The name Nyaninyuk is the name for Mount Beckworth in the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung people.

The farm is expected to run for 30 years.

First stages of planning timeline

Acciona is in the early stages of planning, and the height of the turbines, the location and area of the farm could be changed.

Spokesperson Melanie Sutton said Acciona was excited to share "more granular detail" about the project after "several years of planning".

"What we're sharing today are initial details of the proposed project as it stands now."

Acciona will be running community information sessions in Clunes, Waubra, and Evansford as part of the preparation for the environmental effect statement.

It is anticipated the wind farm plans will be submitted for an EES referral in the third quarter of 2023.

Acciona hopes construction will start in 2026.

"At this early stage, consultation timelines will continue to evolve. The EES phase is a long and thorough process to engage with everyone formally to collect feedback," Ms Sutton said.

Transmission decisions

Acciona is the company behind the 128-turbine Waubra windfarm, constructed in 2009.

The Waubra project is to the south of the proposed area for Nyaninyuk.

The Nyaninyuk windfarm will be able to connect into the existing Waurbra Terminal Substation,or can potentially connect into the Western Renewables Link project, which is still waiting for the environmental effects statement from the state government.

Ten years ago, Acciona proposed a wind farm in the Evansford area, which was axed because of lower-than-anticipated wind speeds.

Since then, improvements to efficiency and the use of longer blades mean a wind farm in the area is more feasible.

More details to be decided

Landowners will be remunerated for the turbine on their land, but it's unclear at this stage how much is on the table.

Ms Sutton said they are working on a community benefits program "to give back to local community groups and organisations".

"[This] ensures income from the site is shared broadly around the community," she said.

"We want to hear ideas and suggestions from the community about how we can craft this program to meet local needs".

Information Sessions