Nordex set for new gigascale Australia order as Acciona unveils $2.7bn wind mega-plan

Plans to create a A$4bn ($2.7bn), 2GW wind complex in Australia were unveiled by developer Acciona Energia, doubling what is already one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest developments and heralding another big order for turbine maker Nordex.

Acciona Australia managing director Brett Wickham said: “Our goal is to roll from construction of MacIntyre straight into the neighbouring Herries Range. This means that workers can move from one large scale project to the next whilst staying in the same area.”

The completed 2GW complex will be able to supply enough power for 1.4 million homes annually, said the developer.

Queensland – which is billing itself as a “renewable energy superpower” among Australian states – has more than 50 large-scale clean energy projects underway.

Australia is home to some of the world’s largest renewables and green hydrogen developments, thanks to factors such as national and state ambitions to phase out fossil fuels and the wide-open spaces for construction.

The nation’s grid infrastructure is regularly named as a barrier to Australia achieving its ambitions, and Queensland’s deputy premier Steven Miles said the project would be supported with transmission infrastructure as part of the state’s ‘SuperGrid’ plan to “deliver the clean energy from MacIntyre Wind Precinct where and when it’s needed”.