ACCIONA’s MacIntyre Wind Farm has achieved a significant milestone, with development approval granted by Queensland’s State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) to build the project.

The approval clears the way for the 1,026 megawatt MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct to move to the next stage of development, with construction expected to start in the second half of 2021.

Forecasted to generate enough clean energy to power 700,000 Queensland households, the MacIntyre Precinct is set to become a major contributor to achieving the Queensland government’s goal of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

Featuring 162 turbines, ACCIONA will build, own and operate the MacIntyre Wind Farm. The company will develop the project in partnership with Ark Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc Co., and the Australian vehicle for its clean energy business.

In addition to this, the project will also see involvement from the Queensland Government’s own renewable energy generator, CleanCo. CleanCo will own and operate the adjacent Karara Wind Farm, which will house 18 turbines capable of producing up to 103 megawatts of power.

ACCIONA’s Australian Managing Director for Energy, Brett Wickham, said the MacIntyre Wind Farm represents the company’s largest-ever wind farm.

“We are excited to be moving forward with this project and are proud to support the Queensland Government’s decarbonisation strategy,” he said.

“The Precinct will avoid the emission of nearly three million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, with construction slated to begin in the second half of 2021.”

“Up to 400 local jobs will be created during the construction phase, while the local supplier spend during this period is expected to exceed AU$500 million,” Mr Wickham commented.