Granville Harbour Wind Farm has two turbines to go, funds volunteer groups – The Advocate

The Granville Harbour Wind Farm is just weeks away from completion, with 29 of the 31 turbines “fully commissioned, energised and generating electricity into the grid”. Project director Lyndon Frearson said the final two turbines would be running by “mid to late August” and the six-person operations team had already been recruited. “It’s exciting and a big endorsement of the efforts of the team to date, in particular during the challenging period for the coronavirus,” he said. Construction crews will soon leave, however, the company’s presence on the West Coast will remain through its grants programs, which gave $20,000 to emergency service volunteer organisations this week. Queenstown’s SES received funds to upgrade technology on its emergency response vehicles and to buy a defibrillator while the town’s ambulance volunteers got a grant for new communication. education and kitchen equipment. Zeehan’s SES received a grant to buy training equipment and materials to support public and community engagement initiatives, while the town’s fire brigade got money to buy new uniforms and safety equipment. “West Coast emergency services do so much for this tight-knit community and we’re really pleased to be able to help them extend their support services – and give back to their volunteer teams,” Mr Frearson said. Granville Harbour Wind Farm will runs its Volunteer Emergency Service Grant program for two more years as well as giving $20,000 to community groups in August. By that stage, the rehabilitation to return the construction site to pastures will be ramping up. “It’s about finalising the landforms and making sure the site is optimised for its continued operation both as a wind farm and a quality beef farm,” Mr Frearson said.