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Conergy Group Company plans Australia’s biggest wind farm for western NSW

NSW renewable energy company Epuron, a Conergy Group Company, today announced its proposal to develop Australia’s largest wind farm near Broken Hill in western NSW. In a typical year the wind farm would be able to contribute up to 4.5% of the total energy needs of NSW and would be amongst the largest projects anywhere in the world.

“Our wind monitoring equipment north of Silverton in western NSW has revealed an amazing wind resource which will power between 400-500 wind turbines when completed,” Martin Poole, Executive Director of Epuron said. “This project alone could contribute 4.5% of the total energy demands of NSW, supplying up to 400,000 homes with electricity.

“With a likely construction cost of $2 Billion, it will provide jobs and dollars for regional economies and play a significant role in addressing Australia’s climate change challenge. We are proceeding with this project on the assumption that the State and Federal Governments will legislate in the interests of developing Australia’s renewable energy industries- providing current and future certainty for projects like Silverton,” Mr Poole said.

“In the short term it is vital that the NSW Government’s NSW Renewable Energy Target (NRET) legislation acts to assist NSW-based projects like Silverton rather than impede them,” Mr Poole said.

Epuron has a wind monitoring network across NSW on sites identified for their wind farm development potential. These monitoring sites show excellent wind speeds in NSW.

“NSW has an excellent resource on a world-wide basis, and competitive with wind farms in better known wind regions like Tasmania and South Australia,” Mr Poole said.

These wind speeds, combined with a strong transmission system, high base-load energy prices and the largest electricity demand in the country, mean NSW is the best location in Australia for wind farms. The project is likely to be the first in Australia to use wind energy production forecasting and actively bid into the National Electricity Market.It would be rolled out in stages, with construction likely to commence in 2009.

This large scale generator will help alleviate existing base-load power constraints in NSW and reduce the possibility of energy shortages in NSW. Epuron will shortly commence community consultations and commence approvals processes with local councils and the NSW Government. The project is currently in the development phase.

About Conergy
Since its founding in 1998, Hamburg-based Conergy AG has sold more than a gigawatt in renewable energy, making it one of the biggest suppliers of solar energy and other renewable energies, and a world leader in solar system integration. Of the one gigawatt in renewable energies, Conergy has installed more than 400 megawatts in its major projects, Of the total one gigawatt, 200 megawatts falls to its wind energy park projects and 800 to its globally marketed solar modules. Calculative one in ten modules worldwide was produced, sold or installed by Conergy. Listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2005, the group pursues a global growth strategy, The company now produces, installs and designs solar power systems and wind turbines in around 15 countries. The Conergy Group is represented with its own branches on four continents.

Conergy Australia is a key player in the Australian renewable energy market, manufacturing and supplying high efficiency solar hot water, solar power and small wind power solutions. With an Australia-wide distribution network, state sales offices and warehousing in 4 key locations around the continent as well as in-house dedicated renewable energy engineers and sales teams, the company has become an important part of the Australian industry since it began operations here in 2005.

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