GE to co-develop 1GW-plus Australian site

GE is in line to supply more than 200 turbines from its Cypress platform for Australian developer Westwind Energy's 1GW-plus Golden Plains project in Victoria.

by Craig Richard 27 August 2019

GE unveiled its Cypress platform in September 2017

The US manufacturer has been named preferred supplier for the wind farm, which it will also co-develop with Westwind.

Golden Plains is slated to be completed in stages and fully commissioned in 2025.

Its planned total capacity between 1,127MW and 1,230MW means it could be the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere when completed, Westwind claimed.

The project has been in development for eight years and construction should start in 2021.

Golden Plains’ 1,127-1,230MW total capacity and the Cypress platform’s 4.8MW-5.3MW power rating indicate that between 212 and 256 turbines would be used.

GE unveiled its Cypress platform in September 2017.

It installed its first prototype with a 5.3MW rating in the Netherlands in late 2018.

GE received its first order of three 4.8MW units for the platform in April.

Construction of the first Australian wind farm to use the Cypress platform — CWP Renewables’ 244MW Bango project will use 46 units with 5.3MW power ratings — will start in September.