MMG Dugald River Pty Ltd (MMG) is proposing to develop the Dugald River Wind Farm (the Project) which comprises the construction and operation of up to 24 X 6 MW Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) and associated ancillary infrastructure. 

The Project will be located on the Knapdale Range to the west of the Dugald River Mine (DRM) which is located approximately 63 km north, north-east of the Township of Cloncurry and within the Cloncurry Shire Council Local Government Area. 

The Project includes the following elements: 

• Up to 24 X 6 MW WTGs; 
• Up to two permanent Meteorological Masts (Met Masts);
• Access tracks; 
• Hardstand areas; 
• Supporting infrastructure (including a collection substation and underground and overhead powerlines); 
• Material laydown areas; 
• Construction areas; and 
• An operations and maintenance facility.  

Purpose of the Project 

The purpose of the Project is to generate renewable energy using the available wind resource associated with the Knapdale Range. Generated power will service Mining Operations at the DRM with additional energy generation to be sold into the North West Power System (NWPS) to contribute to achievement of targets associated with the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan. 

Energy is one of the highest operating costs for Mining Operations at the DRM and is subject to pricing variability. The DRM currently sources electricity from the gas fired Diamantina Power Station and the recently commissioned Dugald River Solar Farm.

The Project will provide power generation to service Mining Operations through a renewable energy source that will reduce operational costs and stabilise price volatility whilst providing positive environmental outcomes in the form of reduced emissions. 

The Dugald River Solar Farm currently displaces approximately 33% of electricity related emissions, saving approximately 750 tonnes of CO2e emissions per week. The Project has the potential to further displace an additional 40% of electricity related emissions and 900 tonnes of CO2e per week which will assist MMG to achieve their commitment of Net Zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050. 

The Project is crucial to drive progress against State and Federal decarbonisation objectives, and more specifically, the necessity of this Project aligns with the Queensland Energy Job Plan, which is a commitment by the Queensland Government to achieve 75% renewable energy generators to be connected to the grid by 2032, and 82% by 2035. 

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan identifies wind energy as a primary contributor to the future of Queensland’s energy system. The planned CopperString 2.0 development will connect the NWPS to the National Energy Market (NEM) from 2032, enabling the Project to provide renewable energy to a larger customer base. 

The Queensland Government’s Queensland SuperGrid Infrastructure Blueprint (September 2022) furthers the detail of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan by stating that Queensland will require 25,000 Megawatt (MW) of large-scale renewable energy capacity by 2035 to achieve energy targets and providing wind capacity targets

The Project Area 

The Project Area comprises an area of 3,140.4 ha and presents as a portion of Lot 92 on SP303378, identified as Subdivision Lease A, a portion of Lot 1 on AP23793, and a portion of Lot 36 on AP23793 as shown on the Context Plan (Att.1). 

The Project has a Disturbance Footprint of up to 137.2 ha, which comprises both permanent and temporary disturbance. To maintain operational flexibility through the detailed design and construction phase, the Disturbance Footprint will be located within a Micrositing Corridor. The Micrositing Corridor has an area of 659.6 ha. 

The Project Details 

The candidate WTG Model is the ‘Goldwind DW 165-5.2/5.6/6.0MW’ which has the following features and dimensions: 

• Hub height: 130m.
• Rotor diameter: Up to 165m. 
• Rotor sweep area: 21,382 m2 between 47.5m and 212.5m above the WTG pad.

Hardstand Pads 

The Disturbance Footprint includes an area designed to accommodate crane pads, temporary laydown areas as well as WTG assembly and erection. An area of approximately 5.0 Ha of hardstand area has been proposed for each WTG. 

The area of disturbance for each WTG will vary in response to civil design requirements and therefore, the actual area of disturbance between each WTG will vary.   

Access and Infrastructure Corridor

The Disturbance Footprint includes a defined access and infrastructure corridor which will be developed to facilitate access to the proposed hardstand areas. The proposed access and infrastructure corridor has a nominal width of 40 m however the actual width will vary depending on manoeuvring requirements and topographical considerations subject to detailed design.   

Where possible, existing light vehicle tracks will be used and widened to reduce the creation of additional disturbance. The access and infrastructure corridor will be created through a program of earthworks designed to achieve the required geometrical alignment for the movement of WTG components. 

It is anticipated that the access tracks will be created through the stripping of vegetation and scraping of topsoil which will be stockpiled for future rehabilitation requirements. Where required, fill material will primarily comprise Non-Acid Forming (NAF) material generated by the Mining Operation. Earthen fill from existing borrow pits associated with the Mining Operation may also be used where required. Importantly, the Project does not require the establishment of any standalone borrow pits for sourcing of materials.  

The Micrositing Corridor has been designed to selectively avoid watercourses and waterways to the greatest extent possible. Within the Micrositing Corridor, only low level (category 1) watercourses and drainage features exist with the level of occurrence being low.   

In the first instance, the Project will seek to avoid watercourses in their entirety. Where a watercourse crossing is ultimately required, the Project design will seek to minimise impacts by reducing track width in these locations. Bed level crossings in compliance with the Waterway Barrier Works Accepted Development Code will be utilised and limited to 25m in width at the watercourse crossing point.

Powerlines (33kV) will be installed to transfer power from each WTG to a collection substation. The powerline system will be installed as a combination of underground and overhead lines where appropriate to minimise ground disturbance and ensure safe construction and operation procedures. Where necessary, the above ground lines would be supported by poles. 

Collection Substation 

The Disturbance Footprint includes a dedicated area which will accommodate a substation (and future Battery Energy Storage System) for the Dugald River Wind Farm. The substation will be the terminal point for electrical infrastructure associated with the WTGs and will be connected to existing electrical infrastructure (Dugald River Switch Yard) located on the DRM via an overhead transmission line. The Dugald River Mine has an established connection to overhead high-voltage electrical infrastructure linked to the NWPS. 

Transmission Line

The Disturbance Footprint includes a 220kV transmission line which links the Dugald River Wind Farm substation to the DRM Switch Yard. The transmission line has a conservative width of 20m however will only comprise clearing for access to power poles which will be created as extensions to existing tracks.