AGL to construct Macarthur Wind Farm in Australia

The Macarthur Wind Farm will be constructed under a joint venture between AGL and Meridian Energy Limited, one of New Zealand’s largest energy companies. AGL will take all of the wind farm’s energy output and wind energy certificates.

The contractual arrangements are subject to a number of conditions precedent, including approval by the Boards of the joint venture partners. A key consideration of AGL’s Board in approving the wind power transaction will be certainty around the final form of the legislation to give effect to the Federal government’s announced changes to the RET scheme.

When constructed, the Macarthur Wind Farm will comprise 174 Suzlon S88 wind turbines for a total capacity of 365MW, which is expected to deliver approximately 945 gigawatt hours of electricity each year. Construction is expected to take approximately 3 years from the time the conditions precedent have been satisfied. Full details of expected capital cost of construction will be announced separately after AGL has finally committed to construction.

AGL Energy has entered into agreements for the construction of the 52.5 MW Hallett 5 wind farm at the Bluff Range in the mid-north of South Australia. Construction will begin in July with completion anticipated for December 2011.

Hallett 5 will consist of 25 s88 V3 wind turbines (2.1 MW each) to be purchased from Suzlon Energy Australia at a total development cost of approximately $120 million. Hallett 5 wind farm is located approximately 185 km north of Adelaide, about 5 km east of Hallett 1 wind farm, which opened in mid – 2008.

The Hallett 2 wind farm (71 MW) is in the commissioning phase, Hallett 3 (80 MW) is in development and Hallett 4 (132 MW) is under construction.

AGL is Australia’s leading integrated renewable energy company and is taking action toward creating a sustainable energy future for investors, communities and customers. Drawing on over 170 years of experience, AGL operates retail and merchant energy businesses, power generation assets and an upstream gas portfolio.

AGL has Australia’s largest retail energy and dual fuel customer base. AGL has a diverse power generation portfolio including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants, spread across traditional thermal generation as well as renewable sources including hydro, wind energy, landfill gas and biomass.

AGL is Australia’s largest private owner and operator of renewable energy assets and is looking to further expand this position by exploring a suite of low emission and renewable energy generation development opportunities.