Advanced Energy in Westpork renewables build

Applecross-based Advanced Energy Resources will soon begin work to install 1.5 megawatts of wind farm capacity across agribusiness Westpork’s biggest farms as part of a $4 million move to renewables.

The planned installation of wind generation capacity follows Advanced’s commissioning of 360 kilowatts of solar photovoltaics across three Westpork farms – at Gingin, Serpentine and Mindarra.

It also follows a recent contract win for Advanced, which is building an $8 million, 3MW solar and wind farm project for GMA Garnet at Kalbarri.

Business News revealed in July that analysts were predicting a major uptake in embedded, or distributed, generation capacity across the state’s South West Interconnected System, with about a gigawatt of commercial solar to be installed in the next two decades.

For Westpork, electricity is to be supplied under a power purchase agreement, with additional energy requirements covered through a retail contract with Advanced, a subsidiary of the Castelli Group.

The two stage project is part of a move by the pork producer to move to 100 per cent renewable power.

Westpork chief executive Neil Ferguson said the company was keen to make renewable energy a major electricity source.

“Advanced are an established industry player with extensively demonstrated solar and wind farm experience which was an essential prerequisite for us,” he said.

“Their ability to provide a turnkey package backed by long term operational support made Advanced an obvious partner, allowing us to focus capital and efforts on our core business, while benefiting from cheaper, greener electricity and long term security around our energy costs.”

Business News understands Westpork will be seeking to install renewable power at a proposed $21 million piggery in Moora.

Advanced managing director Luca Castelli said there were immense opportunities for renewable projects in Western Australia.

“Advanced is proud to be partnering with Westpork in a clear demonstration of what can be achieved by willing commercial and industrial electricity consumers, and the long term merits of renewable energy in providing clean, low cost renewable energy to large electricity consumers,” Mr Castelli said.