Keppel Prince general manager Steve Garner said the contract would help keep its 300 workers employed until new wind farm projects in Victoria provided further work next year.

Mr Garner said the company hoped to employ up to another 50 people in the first quarter of next year when the new projects came on line.

Keppel Prince has secured the contract to build 80 tower sections, which will comprise 28 per cent of the sections to be used in the White Rock wind farm in the New England Tablelands in NSW.

The contract was secured through the project’s Local Business Engagement Plan that committed the wind farm’s Chinese developers Goldwind to use local sourcing where feasible. 

Most of the towers for the wind turbine will be built by Chinese company TSP. 

Goldwind Australia managing director John Titchen said the  contract followed substantial work with Keppel Prince to develop a competitive local tower solution. 

Mr TItchen said Member for Wannon Dan Tehan had also helped achieve the positive outcome for Keppel Prince.

Mr Tehan said the contract showed the capability of a local company to support renewable energy projects across Australia.

“Local projects delivered on a national scale like this continue to drive jobs in the Portland area,” Mr Tehan said.

Mr Garner said Keppel Prince had gained the contract without any financial help from the federal government.

The White Rock Wind Farm is under construction and will be the largest wind farm in NSW with 70 wind turbines totalling 175 megawatts in capacity, enough to power 75,000 homes. 

Mr Garner said Keppel Prince had worked with Goldwind on several other wind farm projects in Australia and was pleased to be working with the company again.

“Goldwind continues to support local jobs and KPE are extremely pleased to be working for the White Rock Wind Farm. We look forward to working on further projects into the future,” he said.