Go ahead for Portland wind farm

The third stage of Australia's largest wind farm development at Portland, Victoria, has been given the go-ahead by the state government.

Acting Planning Minister Peter Batchelor said Pacific Hydro now had development approval to build the Cape Nelson South Wind Energy Facility, south of Portland.

He said the third stage in the $330 million Portland Wind Energy Project (PWEP) will involve the construction of 22 generators which will provide 44 megawatts to Victoria's electricity grid when completed.

Stage one of the project at Yambuk has been completed and construction is well underway on stage two at Cape Bridgewater.

"The next stage of this project is significant as PWEP will provide enough renewable energy to power more than 100,000 Victorian homes, or a city the size of Geelong," Batchelor said.

"It will avoid production of around 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year — equivalent to taking more than 150,000 cars off the road or planting around three million hectares of plantation forest."