By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Noise from one-third of the wind turbines at the Lal Lal Wind Farm will be controlled.
The groundwork to build the turbines at Yendon and Elaine are under way, with construction to be completed by August next year.
However, following a noise assessment by Lal Lal Wind Farms, 19 wind turbines will run in noise curtailment mode.
The noise curtailment mode will be configured depending on wind direction, wind speed and time of day. This criteria will be programmed into the wind turbine generator’s controller and automated.
Lal Lal Wind Farm community engagement manager Tracey Ward said the decision to run some turbines in noise curtailment mode would have no impact on the construction timetable, and was routinely used on wind farms across the world.
“The wind turbine generators (WTG) are designed to be safely operated,” Ms Ward said.
“The curtailment strategy to be used at the Lal Lal sites has been assessed by specialists and has been approved for use at the site.
“The safe operation of the wind farm and overall safety of public and the workforce is the highest priority in designing any wind farm.”
But Lal Lal Environment Protection Association president John McMahon said he was concerned about the automated nature of the curtailment mode.
He told Star Weekly the community would be policing the noise. He said locals were worried about how close the wind farm was to properties and the density of the turbines.
Lal Lal Wind Farm’s planning permit includes strict guidelines on compliance, including requiring the operator to carry out noise compliance testing by an independent acoustic engineer.
The noise limit is 40 decibels for 10 minutes, as outlined in the planning permit.
Ms Ward reassured the community that Lal Lal Wind Farms would comply with all noise standards required as part of the permit.
