About

Project Beginning

The story of the Meering West Wind Farm began in 2021, when several landowners entered discussions with various renewable energy companies about the possibility of installing wind turbines on their properties. Realising that working with multiple companies could result in a fragmented, overlapping patchwork of projects, the landowners came together to form a group. Their goal was to select a single company to partner with and move forward with a unified development.

Initially, the group consisted of 25 farmers/couples, but for the purposes of voting, this was distilled to 15 families with one vote each. The group nominated a four-person committee to oversee a tender process with several development companies invited to submit proposals. The selection process was not based solely on financial terms — it also considered factors including setbacks from neighbouring homes, integration with farm practices and benefits offered to the broader community. After multiple rounds of clarifications and assessments, Virya Energy and one other company were shortlisted and invited to submit their best and final offers. The landholder group then met and a representative from each of the 15 families voted.

Virya Energy was chosen with a strong majority of votes. Following the vote, Virya Energy spent over a year working closely with the landowner group to negotiate land agreements. During this time, the company also worked with the landowner group to co-design access tracks and turbine placements to minimise disruption to farming activities. At this time significant uncertainty surrounding the VNI West transmission line prevented further expansion. In 2024 information regarding VNI West and VicGrid’s Renewable Energy Zones evolved to a point where Virya Energy could invite neighbouring landholders into the project. There are currently 31 landholders involved in the project.

Design Principles

Co-design for agriculture

Meering West Wind Farm has been co-designed with host landowners to minimise impacts on current and future farming, while enhancing on-farm outcomes through shared infrastructure.

Key design features include:

  • Locating turbines outside current and proposed pivot irrigators
  • Minimising biosecurity risks by ensuring single-property access where possible
  • Upgrading existing access tracks
  • Aligning new tracks along paddock edges and at 90° to cropping lines to support GPS auto-steer and future robotics
The construction compound, site office, and O&M building will be sited off valuable cropping land.

Setbacks to homes

The project is proposing a 2km voluntary setback from neighbouring dwellings* that are not involved with the project.

This is twice the distance required under Victoria’s planning requirements and will ensure that relevant standards are met. 

*Subject to the dwelling existing and being habitable as of 1 January 2024. 

Avoiding environmental and heritage impacts

The project is located on cropped and grazed farmland, avoiding significant native vegetation and habitat.
Ecological surveys across multiple stages and seasons have guided design changes to minimise environmental impacts.
The layout has also been designed and further revised to avoid areas of cultural heritage significance.

Efficiency and flexibility

Meering West Wind Farm is strategically located within Victoria’s proposed North West Renewable Energy Zone.

Site advantages include:

  • Strong, consistent wind aligned with peak demand
  • Proximity to existing and planned transmission infrastructure
  • Cleared farmland with favourable topography
  • Low population density

Design features include:

  • Wide turbine spacing to accommodate large onshore turbines
  • 1000 MWh co-located battery for output smoothing and system services

Indicative Timeline

2021 to 2023

Landholder committee formed, tender for a developer conducted and Virya appointed, and wind monitoring begins

2024 to 2025

Engagement and specialist studies underway and formal planning assessment begins

2026

Assessment continues, planning and environmental approvals

2027-2028

Planning for construction, secondary approvals and early works

2029-2031

Construction

2032-2062

Operation

Meering West Wind Farm Pty Ltd

Meering West Wind Farm Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of Virya Energy Pty Ltd (Virya), an Australian renewable energy developer established in March 2020.

Virya’s executive team each brings over 20 years of experience in renewable energy development across Victoria and Australia.

In 2024, Origin Energy acquired Virya’s 1.5 Gigawatt Yanco Delta Wind Farm in NSW. In 2025, Yanco Delta Wind Farm secured access to the South West Renewable Energy Zone, and was the only project to be awarded access for the full size of the project.