Crookwell 2 Wind Farm

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BMD was contracted as part of a consortium with Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, for stage 2 of construction works at the Crookwell Wind Farm. The project was located in Crookwell, approximately 90 minutes north of Canberra, and was BMD’s first wind power project. The project comprised the design and construction of gravel access tracks including drainage, concrete foundations for the wind turbines and construction of crane platforms and hardstands. The 91MW wind farm is able to produce up to 320-GWh (gigawatt hours) of renewable energy annually for homes in Canberra from 28 turbines, contributing to the capital’s 100% renewable energy target.

New South Wales

Crookwell Development Pty Ltd

Resources

February 2017 – June 2018

$38 million

Complete

Scope

The scope of work included:

design and construction of 23 kilometres of gravel access tracks
design and construction of drainage including longitudinal swale drains and culvert cross drainage
design and construction of road crossings over two named creeks
rehabilitation of 5 kilometres of local roads including pavement stabilisation to allow safe access to the wind farm
construction and certification of 28 crane hardstands and equipment laydown areas
construction of 28 wind turbine concrete foundations
grouting of the wind turbine generator bases
trenching and installation of approximately 40 kilometres of electrical cable
construction of a switch room and installation of 22 kilovolt switchgear
termination and installation of switchgear in base towers
supply and installation of the wind farm supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

Outcomes

The project’s scope of work involved construction of a 33 kilovolt to 330 kilovolt substation which connected to the wind farm’s main electrical grid. BMD implemented innovation during the substation’s construction, including the use of all-weather capping on the earthworks pad. With the original project design involving two stabilised layers of pavement, BMD identified this would cause challenges during construction as the existing soil was clay and would have made the area difficult to access during wet periods. Instead, BMD used a gravel road base for the top layer which enabled ongoing construction in the area, free from the impacts of the wet weather and high winds encountered throughout the construction period.

BMD developed key relationships with stakeholders and landowners, consistently providing updates on construction activities. The project team collaborated with landowners to ensure minimal potential disruption to farm activities, resulting in the construction of temporary fencing in paddocks, which allowed both works and farming operations to continue without disruption.

BMD proudly left a lasting legacy in the region, with over 60% of the contract’s value spent within the Australian Capital Region.