State forests manager authorises wind project studies in NSW

Forestry Corporation, the forests manager of New South Wales, announced today that it has authorised several companies to study wind farm opportunities in some pine plantations in the Central West and Southern Inland regions of the Australian state.

More specifically, the state-owned corporation has granted permits for this to France’s Neoen SA (EPA:NEOEN), Iberdrola Australia, TagEnergy, and a joint venture of Mainstream Renewables Power and Someva Renewables.

“A permit is not a consent to proceed with a project, but it will allow the proponent to start the detailed studies to see if a project is viable within each investigation permit area,” explained Forestry CEO Anshul Chaudhary.

The companies will install weather monitoring equipment on meteorological masts to conduct detailed feasibility studies for their projects and will also hold community consultations. Their proposals will be reviewed by the state government. If greenlit, the proponents will then receive Construction and Operations permits from Forestry Corporation.

The investigation, consultation, planning and approval stages are expected to last between three and six years. The projects are not anticipated to enter into operations before the early 2030s.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!