The 23-turbine Canunda wind farm, near Lake Bonney in southern South Australia yesterday, can generate about 135,000 megawatt hours per year of electricity, enough to power 30,000 houses.

The wind farm is the second to become operational in that part of the state. It was developed by private electricity generator company International Power Australia, which says it will make a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Australian Gas Light (AGL) will purchase all the output from the Canunda wind farm.

Canunda is the second purchasing agreement AGL has established with a wind farm in South Australia, following an earlier agreement with Starfish Hill, which started producing wind-powered electricity late last year.

AGL has a strategy of investing in renewable energy through electricity purchasing arrangements, renewable power generation porjects, and a broad range of environmental programs.

AGL said its wider national environmental program involved purchasing electricity from a number of renewable energy sources, including wind and power generation. The company also owns and operates landfill extraction sites and co-generation facilities.