THE Wimmera skyline now boasts two new turbines as construction continues on a new wind farm.
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Construction of the $75-million Kiata Wind Farm started in March.
The project will eventually power the equivalent of 20,000 homes.
The wind farm will be located three kilometres outside Kiata and operated by Canberra-based company Windlab.
Windlab chief executive Roger Price said two of the farm’s nine turbines were now complete with a third and fourth on the way.
“We are ready to lift the third and fourth turbines, but it’s been a bit windy there this week,” he said.
“We are running very much on schedule, maybe only a day or two behind and things are going very well.
“The final lifting of the turbines if very dependent on weather and we have to wait for calm periods to lift the blades.
“This can sometimes be tricky at sites that are suited to wind farms.”
Mr Price said construction of the wind farm was on track to be completed by the end of September or start of October.
He said it was great to see the project taking shape.
“There have been some photos of the guys putting up the turbines and it looks pretty dramatic,” he said.
“It’s also generating a lot of community interest with people wanting to pop out to the site and have a look.”
Mr Price said he hoped the farm would be in full production by early December.
“We have to go through a few months of commissioning and testing first,” he said.
“We hope to be generating the first power through October and then there will be a period of testing, before full commercial operations in December.
“We are looking forward to cutting the ribbon and getting started."