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The Snowtown Wind Farm sits on the Barunga and Hummocks Ranges, 170km north of Adelaide, in South Australia. Stage 1 has been generating electricity since 2008. When Stage 2 came online in 2014, they formed the biggest operating wind farm site in South Australia with a total combined capacity of 370MW.

Project Details

Snowtown Stage 1 was our first Australian investment and we are proud of it.

Tilt Renewables (Trustpower) started investigating the site for a wind farm in 2003 and commenced construction of the first stage of the wind farm in 2006.

Stage 1 of the Snowtown Wind Farm was commissioned in September 2008 with 47 Suzlon S88 2.1MW turbines. In 2011, an additional prototype Suzlon S95 2.1MW turbine was installed and commissioned.

Since 2008, Stage 1 has provided reliable electricity into the South Australian electricity network delivering a long term capacity factor of 43%, one of the highest wind farm outputs in Australia.

“The Suzlon S88 has proven to be a reliable turbine achieving long term reliability in line with the industry performance expectations.”

On 17 December 2019, Snowtown 2 Wind Farm was sold to Australian superannuation fund investors whose investment is managed by Palisade Investment Partners Ltd (PIPL), Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) and First State Super. The Project's new website is here.

Read more about the sale here.

Project Overview

The Snowtown Wind Farm is located 5km west of Snowtown and 170km north of Adelaide in South Australia.

The wind farm is positioned on the Barunga and Hummocks Ranges which are part of a number of low-lying ridgelines running north-south in the mid-north region of the state. The elevation of the Ranges varies from approximately 300m to 430m above mean sea level.

Stage 1 has been in operation since 2008 and consists of 48 Suzlon 2.1MW turbines. Stage 1 is connected into the South Australian electricity network through an onsite substation to the 132kV transmission line running along the western side of the ranges.

Project Benefits

Ecological benefits have included a Native Grassland Significant Environmental Benefit Offset Program of 104Ha resulting in improved native grasslands biodiversity, improved land productivity, habitat protection for the local pygmy blue tongue lizard population and a native tree and shrub planting program.

Tilt Renewables also supported production of an award-winning training video in preserving Aboriginal heritage, a practical stepby-step visual guide covering the whole process, from identifying who to talk to, negotiating agreements, site surveys, heritage monitoring and protection.

The combined Stage 1 & 2 generate 370MW (1,232GWh p.a.) of renewable energy - enough to power around 230,000 SA homes & offset 1,045,000 tonnes of CO2 produced by coal-fired electricity generation every year. That’s the equivalent of removing some 220,000 cars from the roads.

Community Involvement

The strong relationships we’ve shared with landowners and local community groups have been fundamental to the project’s success. Our long established commitment to both Snowtown and the wider community through the Lend a Hand Foundation provides support for local community projects, charities, schools and individuals when they need it most. More details of the commitment Tilt Renewables makes to communities is available here - Our Communities.

The Snowtown Wind Farm Lend a Hand Foundation program provides funds for community projects and initiatives in the area, and is administered by an independent, locally based community group.

Further details and how to apply for a grant can be found here:

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Contact us

For further information about the Project please contact us via info@tiltrenewables.com or on 1800 WE TILT (938 458).

If you have a complaint, please contact us at complaints@tiltrenewables.com or on 1800 306 118.

You can find Tilt Renewables' Complaints Handling Procedure here.