The Australian government has approved the Wimmera Plains Energy Facility, a 312MW wind farm project in the state of Victoria.

Located 10km northeast of Horsham, Wimmera Plains Energy Facility will generate enough clean energy to power 202,000 homes in the region.

The facility will be equipped with 52 wind turbines connected to an existing 220kV transmission line.

In addition to wind power, the project includes a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS) facility.

This system can store up to 400MWh of dispatchable energy, bolstering the reliability of the renewable energy supply.

The facility is set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to removing 370,000 cars from the roads each year.

The government projects that the wind farm will not only enhance Australia's renewable energy portfolio but also lower energy costs.

It will also create 280 direct jobs during the construction phase and ten permanent jobs thereafter.

Australia Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said: “Labor is getting on with the job of transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower while Peter Dutton’s so-called nuclear plan is threatening investment in renewables.

“I’ve ticked off more than 55 renewable energy projects in two years - enough to power more than three million Australian homes.

“Those renewable energy projects give us more electricity in the two years we have been in office than Peter Dutton’s uncosted and unexplained seven large reactors might produce some 20 years from now.

“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway and driving down prices, or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen.”