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Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm

Wind power plant in South Australia, Australia. Approximate location -34.8509, 135.5852.

WindSouth AustraliaAustraliaOnshore

Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is a 66 MW wind power plant in South Australia, Australia. It is operated by TRUenergy & Acciona Energy. Based on reported annual generation of 153 GWh, it can supply roughly 44k homes. It ranks #232 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2007, it is around 19 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 13.7% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

66Source-backed capacity
153GWh reported / yr
43,714homes powered
2007commissioned (~19 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000063.

Data status

Known data

FacilityCathedral Rocks Wind Farm WRI
CountryAustralia · South Australia WRI
Coordinates-34.8509, 135.5852 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity66 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerTRUenergy & Acciona Energy WRI
Commissioned2007 WRI
TechnologyOnshore WRI
GWh reported / yr153 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#232 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#33 of 65 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.00× · 66 MW median · 65 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent43,714 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.7°C · HDD 1,013 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 37/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000906220); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 66 MW, Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is around the median wind plant in Australia (66 MW). Technically it is described as Onshore. Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 178 GWh20132014: 199 GWh20142015: 172 GWh20152016: 171 GWh20162017: 153 GWh20172018: 153 GWh2018199 GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by TRUenergy & Acciona Energy.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.9°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.7°Cannual mean temp
1,013heating degree-days (base 18°C)
148cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
51 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 20 °CJF: 20 °CFM: 19 °CMA: 16 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 12 °CJJ: 11 °CJA: 12 °CAS: 13 °CSO: 15 °CON: 17 °CND: 18 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 59% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 26/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
37/100environmental-severity index
9.0°Cseasonal temperature swing
18 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #33 largest wind power plant of 65 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 65 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 5,786 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -34.8509, 135.5852 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm?

Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is a 66 MW source-record wind power plant in South Australia, Australia, commissioned in 2007.

How much electricity does Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm generate?

Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm generates about 153 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 43,714 homes.

Who operates Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm?

Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm is operated by TRUenergy & Acciona Energy.

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