Creating value & opportunities through renewable energy
Sapphire Wind Farm is a large scale renewable energy project which provides enough clean energy to power around 115,000 homes and displaces 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
It also brings many economic benefits to NSW’s New England region, as well as to the ACT capital region, including over 150 new jobs.
As the largest wind farm in New South Wales, Sapphire Wind Farm will help the ACT Government meet its target of 100% renewables by 2020.
Location
Sapphire Wind Farm is located in the New England region of northern NSW. The site is 28km east of Inverell and 18km west of Glen Innes to the north of the Gwydir Highway in the Kings Plains area. It has two neighbouring wind farms, White Rock and Glen Innes which are located to the south of the highway closer to the town of Glen Innes.
Timeline
Construction at Sapphire Wind Farm started in January 2017 and will run until late 2018.
Construction commenced
Jan 2017
Site office established
Mar 2017
First turbine foundations laid
April 2017
Waterloo Rd upgrades
May 2017
Turbine components start to arrive
Sept 2017
First turbines erected
Oct 2017
Commissioning begins
Dec 2017
ACT 100MW operational
May 2018
Construction complete - Fully operational
Nov 2018
Quick facts
Wind offers a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels
A single Vestas wind turbine generates around 25 to 40 times more energy than it uses in its entire lifecycle and only emits around 1% of carbon emissions compared to a coal-fired power plant.
Staying connected to our community
Community is at the heart of everything we do. We work hand-in-hand with our communities to create a series of longer-term projects that leave a lasting legacy. Our community program includes:
Community Consultative Committee
Provides a forum for open discussion and information sharing, with membership from a range of stakeholders.
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Community Legacy Projects
A series of small projects in the community that can make a lasting difference over the longer term.
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Community Co-investment Initiative
The local community will be given the opportunity to invest directly into the Sapphire Wind Farm in late 2018
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Community Benefit Fund
Once energy is being generated, around $3.75million will be invested in community projects over 20 years.
Learn More‘The interest in renewable energy in Inverell is quite remarkable. Sapphire Wind Farm has placed the town on a step to the future, an outstanding example of progress in the New England Region.’
Kevin Dunn – President, National Transport Museum
Newsletter & Events
We provide regular updates through our newsletters & will be running a number of community events.
Learn MoreDocuments
All of our planning and approval documents are available to the public, please take a look if you’re interested.
Learn MoreFeedback
We welcome your thoughts & enquiries, please get in touch with us by email, phone or mail
Learn MoreNewsletter
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