The Western Australian Government has awarded the first grant under its $8 million Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-Investment Program, with Australian Winders securing $488,204 to support a nearly $1 million project aimed at boosting local wind energy supply chain capabilities.
The funding, available through the state government’s Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-Investment Program, is delivered in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.
The Bayswater-based manufacturer will use the investment to enhance automation, training, and quality management, boosting its capacity to meet increasing demand in the wind energy market.
Australian Winders will offer local repair and maintenance of wind turbine coils. As the company scales up they will be able to manufacture new coils for original equipment manufacturers and wind farm operators replacing an entirely imported product.
The project is expected to generate 25 new jobs and an estimated $17.8 million in additional revenue over the next five years.
Australian Winders Managing Director Tony O’Brien says the investment will position the company to meet the rising demand in the wind energy sector, secure new contracts, and strengthen its role as a key domestic supplier.
“This expansion will not only allow Australian Winders to grow within our existing markets but also create the capacity needed to explore new opportunities,” O’Brien says.
There are several minerals needed for wind energy, including copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, rare earths, zinc, and platinum group metals.
According to the International Energy Agency, global installed capacity of wind power has nearly quadrupled over the past decade. Over the next two decades, wind power is set to grow, with the offshore wind industry maturing and adding to developments in onshore wind on the back of technology improvements and low-cost financing.
In the agency’s sustainable development scenario, demand for rare earths in winds – neodymium and praseodymium – is set to more than triple by 2040. This is largely driven by the doubling of annual capacity additions, as well as a shift towards turbines with permanent magnets.
Meanwhile, copper demand is forecast to reach 600,000 tonnes per year in 2040, driven by offshore wind requiring greater cabling. Offshore wind accounts for nearly 40% of the copper demand from wind, despite accounting for only 20% of the total wind capacity additions.
The Western Australian Government’s co-investment program provides financial and non-financial support to help local manufacturers increase their participation in wind energy supply chains. The program offers up to 50% of eligible project costs, with industry partners required to match the funding.
Premier Roger Cook says by manufacturing wind turbine infrastructure in Western Australia, this will help in the fight against climate change.
“Becoming a renewable energy powerhouse and making more things here are key parts of my government’s strategy for Western Australia to remain the strongest economy in the nation,” Cook says.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash
