Wind turbine to come down

Barwon Water is preparing to decommission the wind turbine in Connewarre near the Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant.

The wind turbine has reached the end of its operational life and needs to be dismantled to ensure public safety.

“The wind turbine was first installed in 1987, and with replacement parts no longer available, it is not technically or financially viable to maintain,” General Manager Planning, Delivery and Environment Seamus Butcher said.

“We know the wind turbine is a local landmark, and we are engaging with community groups and neighbours to understand how we can best recognise its historical and cultural significance.”

For more information, or to share a memory or photo of the Black Rock wind turbine, visit www.yoursay.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/black-rock-wind-turbine.

Barwon Water is powering its facilities with 100 per cent renewable electricity www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-events/news/barwon-water-achieves-full-switch-to-renewables.

This has been achieved by an investment in about 25 megawatts of renewable electricity capacity, which generates around 65 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year.

Our renewables portfolio includes the 3-megawatt Black Rock solar farm – which was the first megawatt-scale solar installation in the Australian water industry when it opened in 2018.

The Black Rock solar precinct generates enough electricity to power 800 homes.

In comparison, at the peak of its operation the wind turbine produced between 60 to 80 MWh annually (enough to power up to 14 homes).

Black Rock Wind Turbine.