Lord Howe Island

Hybrid renewable energy project Photo credits: @prodivelordhowe; @davidconnorphoto; @ arajillaretreat; @james_lonergan; @trevortempleman

Lord Howe Island is recognised on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its natural beauty so the visual impact of the hybrid renewable energy system and the proposed wind turbines in particular, is a key issue and subject to robust approval processes by the Federal Government as well as approval from the NSW Government and the Board.

A visual impact assessment is currently underway as part of the overall environmental assessment for the project to determine how significant the visual impact from the turbines would be. Photomontages have been produced from key viewpoints on the Island to show what the turbines would look like.

Fact sheet: Wind turbine visual impacts

Indicative view towards proposed wind turbines, looking east from Lagoon Road, near the entrance to the Bowling Club

Indicative view towards proposed wind turbines, looking north from Goathouse Cave on Mount Lidgbird

The exact model of wind turbine won’t be confirmed until after an

open tender process. The Vergnet wind turbine has been used as the basis for the visual

assessment and photomontages; however other turbine models such as the XANT

are possible.

The selected turbines need to be an appropriate size for the Island, will be able to be installed in remote areas without a large crane, will be easy to maintain and can be lowered during extreme weather conditions to prevent damage.

Indicative view of proposed wind turbines, looking east from onboard a boat in the Lagoon, approximately 200 metres north of Rabbit Island

Indicative view towards proposed wind turbines, looking south from Malabar-Kims Lookout Track

Indicative view of proposed wind turbines, looking south from the western end of Old Settlement Beach

Lord Howe Island

Hybrid renewable energy project Photo credits: @prodivelordhowe; @davidconnorphoto; @ arajillaretreat; @james_lonergan; @trevortempleman

Suzlon turbines at Lake George near Canberra

(not to be used on Lord Howe Island) Vergnet turbines in Coral Bay, Western Australia An example of a XANT wind turbine

How will the Lord Howe Island wind turbines measure up?

Two 200 kW Vergnet wind turbines were used in the photomontages for the visual assessment. Key statistics for the Vergnet and XANT turbines – both potential models for Lord Howe Island - are shown below. A turbine from the well-known Capital Wind Farm (which consists of 67 turbines) at Lake George near Canberra is shown as a comparison. As you can see, the turbine models proposed for the Island are smaller machines with much thinner masts, about 30 cm in diameter as opposed to approximately 4 metres. Some of the larger wind turbines nowadays are in the region of 100 metres high, with blades over 60 metres long.

Turbine Vergnet XANT Suzlon

Hub height 55 metres 38 metres 80 metres

Blade length 15 metres 10.5 metres 44 metres

Maximum blade tip height 70 metres 48.5 metres 124 metres

Number of blades 2 blades 3 blades 3 blades

Potential turbine models for Lord Howe Island, with guy wires

Capital Wind Farm (Lake George, Canberra) for comparison – not to

be used on Lord Howe Island