PLANS for a wind farm near Port Fairy have come back to life after few signs of progress since it first received a planning permit in 2008.
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The state government has extended the planning permit for the Ryan Corner wind farm, with the project now required to be completed by August 2023.
A spokesman for site developer Global Power Generation (GPG) said the company in early September signed a deal with federal government-owned Snowy Hydro, which has bought 70 per cent of the power.
"There are (now) more favourable environments for power agreements," the spokesman said of why the project had come back to life.
The state government amended the Ryan Corner wind farm planning permit in 2017, when it reduced the number of turbines but allowed their maximum height to increase to 180 metres.
"An extension of time has been granted but there is no change to the previously amended permits," a government spokeswoman said.
The site is about 12 kilometres north-west of Port Fairy.
GPG's spokesman said the company planned to build 52 turbines, capable of producing 218 megawatts.
He said construction could begin as soon as "the end of summer" and be completed in the "third quarter of 2022".
GPG has also received an extension for the Hawkesdale wind farm for the same time period.
The spokesman would not comment further on any plans for that project.
"We are exploring ... avenues for making it viable," he said.
Moyne Shire Council currently has a formal position against the state government granting any further permits for wind farms in the shire.
But council chief executive officer Bill Millard.said the planning permit extensions did not undermine that position.
"The two proposed wind farms have long had permits," Mr Millard said.
"Therefore (they) are not directly impacted by the council resolution opposing new wind farms until implementation of specific recommendations from the National Wind Farm Commissioner."
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Jackson Graham
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
