As well as having the world’s cleanest air, Circular Head has a lot of it. As the first recipients of the Roaring Forties, winds that have blown unimpeded from Cape Horn, there is a great potential to harness and sell wind generated power. The State Hydro Electric Commission has recently purchased land to build the largest windfarm in the southern hemisphere in Circular Head.
This clean and green power source will have an initial capacity of 75 megawatts, and with full capacity the same potential output as the Gordon Below Franklin Hydro Scheme.
The initial plan is to establish six towers in a relatively isolated area of the coast. At full capacity, this site will have a total of 80 towers. Council is currently working through the development application process with the Hydro. This should be completed early in the new year.
There is also the added bonus of another ecotourism attraction for the area. Visitors will have access to this remote and beautiful wilderness location to witness environmentally sustainable power generation for the 21st century.
“It is quite evident that there is a lot happening in Circular Head and the community can be quite optimistic about our future,” said Mayor Ross Hine.
“The Partnership Agreement has provided a challenge for the State Government to show it is deadly serious about cooperating with Local Government to improve local communities.”
