If you thought the natural symbol of north Queensland is a Brahman Bull or a sugar cane stand, you may be proven wrong.

In the future, it could be a wind turbine.

The prospect of one of the country’s largest wind turbine fields established in the Flinders Shire will be a game changer for north Queensland according to one of the three largest private renewable energy generators in the world, Iberdrola.

Related: Spotlight on renewable energy sector opportunities

General Manager Hydrogen and Strategic Projects Australia Robert Ludecke recently told a Townsville Enterprise Seminar that Iberdrola is set to build 200 turbines near Hughenden in an onshore wind farm project set to generate 1000MWh of electricity.

Australia’s National Energy Market is 23,000MW of installed coal capacity which is likely to be played out in 20 or so years said Mr Ludecke.

The turbines average more than 140 metres tall and turn direct current generated by slowly rotating blades into alternating current before feeding into the distribution system.

Favourable position

North Queensland was one of the best solar and hydrogen sites in the world said Mr Ludecke.

The wind farm west of Charters Towers spread over 50,000 hectares is likely to be built in stages of 300MW at a time in an effort involving hundreds of construction jobs and holding around a hundred ongoing jobs in operation, said Mr Ludecke.

It was a service whose time had come he said.

“We’re looking for other opportunities in Queensland,” he said. “We see Queensland as being a state which will pivot very well to the green revolution. 

“Export is probably a number of years off yet, but we see critical green metals processing, such as what Korea Zinc’s doing, (at the Sun Metals refinery) in Townsville.”

“We see other preferable metals processing as being a really good opportunity. We also see green ammonia, green steel and green methanol as being other opportunities that we will pursue.

“Especially if every major corporate in Australia is looking how they green their supply chain. We are the only integrated green producer in the NEM (National Energy Market) and we’ve got a very high demand for our green product. 

“That’s before you go and start processing critical minerals, rare earths, et cetera, in Australia rather than exporting those offshore to be done. 

“I think that’s going to be another huge economic benefit that we will see as a result of this.”

The success of the project was not contingent on the success of the CopperString-2 distribution network said Mr Ludecke. 

In the meantime, he said north Queensland would build a future for itself around energy and cattle and sugar would eventually run second place in the public imagination.