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Onshore wind expands (with major project start-ups in Africa and Australia) and grows safer in the UK
11/6/2025
News
Africa’s largest wind farm has been commissioned in Egypt; a new wind project in New South Wales is to play a key role in the Australian state’s energy transition; and the UK’s onshore wind sector has achieved its safest year in half a decade.
Africa’s largest wind farm commissioned in Egypt
A major milestone for African renewable energy has been reached with the commissioning of the 500 MW Amunet wind farm in Ras Ghareb, Egypt. Jointly developed by AMEA Power (60%) and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation (40%), Amunet is the largest operational wind farm on the continent.
Located near the Red Sea coast, the project is expected to generate approximately 2,500 GWh/y of clean electricity annually. This will be enough to power over 500,000 households, also offsetting more than 1.4mn t/y of CO2 emissions, report the project partners.
AMEA Power, which is headquartered in Dubai, commissioned a 500 MW solar PV plant in Aswan, southern Egypt, in November 2024.
Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of the renewable energy developer, owner and operator, comments: ‘Bringing 1 GW of clean energy online in such a short period is… a reflection of our deep commitment to delivering impactful renewable energy solutions. This is the future of power generation in Africa – clean, inclusive, and transformational.’
New South Wales wind farm to play crucial role in state’s energy transition
On the other side of the globe, Australia’s Tilt Renewables has officially opened the largest operating wind farm in New South Wales (NSW).
The 396 MW Rye Park wind farm, on the edge of the Southern Tablelands and the South-West Slopes, comprises 66 turbines, enough to power some 215,000 homes, according to Tilt Renewables.
NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe praised the project as an essential component of the state’s energy transition. ‘With three out of four of the state’s remaining coal-fired power stations due to close in the next decade, Rye Park plays a vital role in keeping the lights on.’
Rye Park is also supporting decarbonisation of the mining sector, with more than 55% of its output contracted through a power purchase agreement with Newmont’s Cadia gold mine. The remaining output is allocated to AGL, a major investor in Tilt Renewables.
Incident rates in UK onshore wind sector drop to five-year low
SafetyOn, the health and safety organisation for the UK’s onshore wind industry, released its 2024 Incident Data report last week. It shows continued improvement in industry safety with a reduction in both major incidents and severe injuries.
The annual analysis, based on data submitted by SafetyOn member companies, reveals significant progress in reducing workplace risk and injuries across UK onshore wind farms, despite a year of industry growth.
A total of 654 incidents were recorded in 2024, an 8% rise from 2023, but this occurred alongside a 17% increase in hours worked (from 7.5 million to 8.8 million), resulting in a drop in the total recordable incident rate (TRIR) to 0.27 and lost time injury frequency (LTIF) to 0.08 – both the lowest on record.
High potential incidents – those with the potential for severe injury or fatality – fell by 8% to 97 cases, representing just 15% of all incidents, the lowest proportion since 2020.
There was also a major reduction in severe injuries, with lost work day incidents dropping by 59%, from 17 in 2023 to just seven in 2024. It is the first time this figure has fallen to single digits since SafetyOn began collecting data.
In addition, there were zero fatalities in the sector, for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, hand injuries, the most common injury type, fell by 15%, while injuries from hand and power tools dropped by 71%. However, manual handling injuries increased. They now account for the highest number of injury-related incidents.
Incidents related to access and egress more than doubled, while incidents involving fallen objects rose by 75%. This highlights evolving risk areas that require renewed industry focus, says SafetyOn.
Commenting on the report findings, Heather Chambers, Chair of SafetyOn and Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Vantage RE, says: ‘Although I’m pleased to see a reduction in incident rates, there is always more work to be done. SafetyOn will continue to be data-led in our approach to ensuring the highest possible safety standards in the onshore wind sector are met.’
Nick Wayth CEng FEI, CEO of the Energy Institute, the home of SafetyOn, adds: ‘The removal of the de facto ban on onshore wind in the UK has opened up new opportunities to provide safe, clean and green energy to British consumers while supporting new jobs in the energy sector. SafetyOn does vital work identifying and addressing safety concerns on sites across the UK, and it’s good to see continued progress in 2024. As SafetyOn expands its remit to the Republic of Ireland, I’m confident that the team will continue to deliver higher standards for its members in a burgeoning industry.’
