Western Power has just completed a $20 million project to connect Western Australia's largest renewable energy project, the Collgar Wind Farm, to the grid. The $750 million Collgar Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere and is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 120,000 homes.

Western Power Managing Director Doug Aberle said it was a significant project for the business. “The project involved the construction of a purpose-built substation and other infrastructure to provide connection including cutting in to the Merredin -Yilgarn transmission line."

Western Power cut into the 220,000-V transmission line that carries power between Kalgoorlie and Perth and connecting it to a substation built on the wind farm. Merredin, Kalgoorlie and other affected towns had alternative power routes arranged during the five-day cut-in so no interruptions in power were experienced.

“Western Power is pleased to have delivered the connection project under budget and ahead of schedule,” Aberle said. “This project demonstrates Western Power’s commitment to enabling sustainable, renewable energy sources to benefit consumers and to help make a major contribution to WA’s greenhouse gas reductions.”

Collgar Wind Farm is forecast to generate and deliver, on average, 792,000 MWh of clean, renewable electricity into Western Power’s network – the South West Interconnected System. Collgar Wind Farm is located approximately 25km south east of Merredin.