While we focus on wind turbines and transmission lines, whose paying for the roads? One bypass at $340 million hides a massive cost to Australia taxpayers. In this example according to Muswellbrook Shire Council general manager Derek Finnigan “… moving the enormous wind turbine components to the new renewable energy zones (REZ) is not possible. They simply cannot get through the town. The wind turbine blades are up to 90 metres long and almost 7 metres in diameter. They need to be transported from the Newcastle port to renewable energy projects located near Dubbo in the state’s central west and Armidale in New England.”

Finnigan explains that “the $340 million needed for the project – $268.8 million of which would come from the federal government and $71.2 million from the NSW government – is still under review… it’s “essential” that funding commitments for the bypass from both arms of the previous governments are honoured “to unlock access to the new renewable energy zones in regional areas”.

The Muswellbrook Council says it has already been contacted by various energy companies with requests to use local roads to transport oversize equipment.”

The costs of road widening, diversions and bypasses needs all adds to the bottom line cost of wind.

References

https://bigrigs.com.au/2023/07/12/340m-bypass-needed-to-truck-giant-wind-turbines-to-nsw-sites