Italian company Enel Green Power and Japanese gas giant Inpex have bought a $1 billion portfolio of wind and solar farms across Australia, including WA's largest wind project.
An expansion of WA's renewable energy sector is proceeding after a lull in activity, with contracts awarded for an expansion of one wind farm and construction of a second, new wind farm.
Renewable energy giant Neoen has joined a long list of companies aiming to develop wind farms in WA's South West, though none are currently under construction.
The shutdown of BHP's nickel operations has had a silver lining for Kalgoorlie, with Canadian company TransAlta contracted to supply back-up power to the city.
The operator of WA's largest wind farm aims to build five more across the state, joining multiple companies planning, but not yet building, new wind farms.
The fallout from BHP mothballing its Nickel West operations has had a ripple effect through engineering and haulage contractors, fellow miners, airlines and power suppliers.
The state's peak planning body has retrospectively approved the first stage of a $400 million wind farm constructed on 3,600 hectares of land near Kojonup.
The first stage of Flat Rocks Wind Farm project, to be operated by Enel Green Power, is estimated to cost $200 million and expected to start by February.
