Community & NSW benefits

 

This project has the potential to deliver significant economic benefits to NSW, and in particular the Broken Hill region.

With a construction cost of approximately $2bn, the project will provide significant revenues for regional economies. Silverton Wind Farm Developments prefers to use local or regional companies and manufacturing facilities for construction and decommissioning activities. In addition, the local community will benefit through a substantial number of construction and operational jobs becoming available during both the construction and operational stages of Silverton Wind Farm. These will include jobs covering civil and electrical construction, operation and maintenance, and services to support these workers.

NSW needs more power generation to meet increased customer demand and a higher proportion of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from carbon based fuels. Wind energy provides clean, renewable energy, resulting in reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a better environment for future generations. The Silverton Wind Farm will play a significant role in addressing Australia’s climate change challenge through the generation of approximately 4.5% of NSW’s total electricity consumption.

Silverton Wind Farm Developments is committed to developing the Silverton Wind Farm in a way that minimises adverse local impacts and maximises the benefits of the project to the local community and broader population. Based on a 598 turbine layout, the project would offer the following broad benefits:

  • Production of approximately 3,500,000 MWh of renewable electricity per annum, sufficient for the average consumption of over 430,000 NSW homes
  • Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (equivalent) per annum, the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off our roads
  • Savings in water consumption of approximately 4,600 million litres per annum of potable water (this is the amount of water required to produce the same amount of electricity from coal-fired power stations)
  • Annual savings in pollution from coal-fired power stations of up to 18,760 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 8,365 tonnes of nitrogen oxides and 535,000 kilograms of particulates
  • Establishment of a community fund to assist in funding community and environmental projects that provide benefits to the Silverton community
  • Improvement in local infrastructure in the Silverton region
  • Protection and improved management of sensitive local biodiversity including the tawny rock dragon and a previously unrecorded spinifex ecological community
  • Provision of 3,988 FTE regional jobs and injection of approximately $701 million into the regional economy
  • Improved security of electricity supply through diversification.