Alistair Craib, whose company Ironstone Capital is one of the project partners, said there was no firm date for the start of construction next year. 

He said the main uncertainty about the start to construction was the timing of the turbines’ connection to the national electricity grid.

Ironstone Capital has gained a contract to supply power from the wind farm to the Snowy Hydro company that has expanded beyond power generation to also deliver power to customers.

Ironstone Capital took over the project in September from the Wind Farm Developments company which initiated the project and gained planning approval for it more than five years ago.

The 20 turbines are to be built to the west of Woolsthorpe on the property of one landowner. 

Mr Craib said Ironstone Capital was funding the project itself and drawing upon the wind farm expertise of Enerfin, part of the Spanish Elecnor renewable energy company. 

While other wind farms such as one planned for Hawkesdale and another proposed for Willatook, west of Hawkesdale, have encountered community opposition, the Woolsthorpe project appears to have few opponents.

Mr Craib said the project’s Community Engagement Committee had provided a good forum for any issues community members had with the project.

The committee’s chair, Woolsthorpe resident and Moyne Shire Cr Colin Ryan, said it hoped to soon receive details of the route the transmission line would take from the wind farm to the Yangery sub-station near Koroit to connect to the national electricity grid.

While Moyne Shire Council voted last month against any more wind farms, the Woolsthorpe farm was one of 10 that have either been built or received planning approval prior to the November vote.

While Cr Ryan had no problems with the Woolsthorpe wind farm, he did support the council’s motion for no more wind farms in the shire until the state government adopted recommendations put forward by the national wind farm commissioner to avoid having multiple wind farms in one location.