Agriculture
15 September, 2024
Energy companies ‘dipping toe in Loddon land water
DRAFT transmission grid guidelines released by the State Government could be spurring approaches to Loddon farmers. Consultation on the draft is expected to closed last month and the final report is expected within days. Spanish-owned Acciona Energy...
DRAFT transmission grid guidelines released by the State Government could be spurring approaches to Loddon farmers.
Consultation on the draft is expected to closed last month and the final report is expected within days.
Spanish-owned Acciona Energy has met with some farmers in the Boort district to discuss proposals for wind turbines.
While the company has questioned the touted 150-turbine figure, several farmers have told the Loddon Herald the number could be greater.
They are preparing for further talks with Acciona this month.
Acciona Energy’s Victorian development manager Cairan Dillon said: “Acciona Energy team members visited Boort and other areas last week scouting potential sites along the VNI West route that might be suitable for potential projects in the future.
“As part of this activity we’ve been looking at wind and solar resources along the length of VNI West and evaluating these and the possibility of developing a large-scale renewable energy project”.
However, one farmer in the Boort disrict has said he was not invited to the first meeting. Josh Lanyon said: “This seems to have been a very secretive meeting, with a map showing our property ... but definitely not invited ourselves.”
Acciona is the second energy company to have been engaged with Loddon Shire in recent months.
It is undertstood another firm has already met with shire councillors with Loddon included in the draft tier one renewable energy zone.
According to one farmer: “They are all starting to dip their toe in the water around hear.”
The Government says renewable energy zones will be areas of the state that not only have abundant renewable energy resources but are also appropriate for development.