Port Gregory Wind Farm

Project: Port Gregory Wind Farm

Location:  Perth, WA
Duration: 17 Months

Advanced Energy Resources, started building a 3.5MW wind and solar farm with battery storage at Port Gregory in Western Australia. Located approximately 50km south of Kalbarri, adjacent to the famous Hutt Lagoon (Pink Lake), the project consists of a 2.5MW wind farm using five refurbished Enercon wind turbines, a 1MW solar farm and a 2MW/0.5MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) utilising an innovative, Australian first connection topology. The project will supply energy to GMA Garnet’s operation in Port Gregory with excess generation being exported into the local electricity network.

We assisted with detailed design and certification of five Wind Turbine Generators foundations, this also included  planning and management of geotechnical investigation and working on concept design and comparison of alternative options.

We faced a few challenges along the way due to lack of information regarding interface loads and then the interface loads provided not being in accordance with current Australian and International standards and the topographic survey and civil design levels not being available.

Identification of the critical load combinations to design the foundation of the Wind Turbine Generators in accordance with Australian and International standards was achieved along with a comparison with the original design loads was undertaken.  Typical sections were provided to Advanced Energy Resources and geotechnical engineers for various terrain topography.

McDowall Affleck and partner Studio Techne’ provided Advanced Energy Resources with 20 years experience in design of wind farms.  With design optimisation of the foundation and comparison with the one originally designed and provision of advice on turbine erection.