Clarke Creek Wind Farm has provided almost $30,000 in funding to RACQ CapRescue to install solar panels at the CapRescue hangar in Rockhampton.
The grant will help reduce CapRescue’s ongoing operating costs, providing a sustainable solution that supports the long-term security of the region’s critical aerial medical retrieval service.
RACQ CapRescue Operations Manager Kirsty Wooler said in 2022/23, the service’s annual operating costs are predicted to be $12 million.
”Forty per cent of our annual expenses need to be raised from partnerships, events and donations from the communities we serve, which is why initiatives that reduce our overheads are so incredibly valuable for the future of the service,” Ms Wooler said.
“The new solar panels offer a sustainable, long-term solution that will reduce our annual electricity costs by up to 55 per cent, and this money saved will go directly towards our mission to keep Central Queenslanders safe.
“The generosity and contribution of our supporters like the Clarke Creek Wind Farm are as vital to CapRescue as our service is to the people in the 350,000km2 we serve – we couldn’t fly without this support.”
The installation of solar panels at the Rockhampton hangar will also reduce CapRescue’s carbon footprint by 170,000kg of CO2 every year – the equivalent of planting almost 8,000 trees.
Squadron Energy is delivering the Clarke Creek Wind, Solar and Battery Farm in Central Queensland – the biggest grid connected renewable energy project underway in Australia. The Project is being constructed by Windlab, which is 75 per cent owned by Squadron Energy.
Stage One of the project includes 100 turbines, and will produce 450,000MW of clean energy – enough to power about 300,000 Australian homes.
Once operational, Clarke Creek Wind Farm’s grid-scale generation capability will displace 2.7 million tonnes of carbon each year, and will strongly align with the Queensland government’s integrated energy plan for the state.
Windlab’s Clarke Creek Wind Farm Project Director and General Manager Construction John Burke said the partnership offered a meaningful and practical way of supporting a safer region for all Central Queenslanders.
“CapRescue provides a vital service across the region, providing critical emergency medical help and retrieval operations when they’re needed most, including in isolated areas with little or no vehicular access, mining operations, cattle properties,” Mr Burke said.
“While we work hard to ensure we never need to call on the service at the Clarke Creek Wind Farm, its value to a remote work site can’t be underestimated, and we are proud to be part of assuring the future of such a critical service for our region.”