Premier Mike Rann announced on Wednesday that South Australia’s leading role as a renewable energy hub received a major boost with Suzlon Energy Australia announcing plans to invest $1.3 billion to put up a 600 megawatt wind project on the Yorke Peninsula.

Rann said in a statement posted on his website that the Suzlon Group, the world’s fifth largest wind turbine supplier with operations in 32 countries, has proposed to erect up to 180 turbines, 20 kilometres south-west of Ardrossan.

He said the Ceres project would provide the 600 MW generated power directly into the metropolitan Adelaide grid via a High Voltage Direct Current connection across Gulf St Vincent.

“The Ceres Project will generate enough electricity to power more than 200,000 homes every year and provide long term certainty for Adelaide’s power supplies,” Rann said.

“In terms of the benefit to the environment, this level of wind power generating capacity is estimated to reduce output of carbon dioxide by 2.5 million tonnes each year," he said.

According to Rann, South Australia already has 534 turbines installed producing 1,150MW of wind generating capacity which is more than 21 percent of the State’s total electricity generation.

“This new project will catapult us towards our target of reaching 33% of renewable energy generation by 2020. We already have 54% of Australia's total wind power generating capacity – five times per capita more than Victoria and ten times more than New South Wales," he said.

Rann said the government of South Australia have made it easier for investors like Suzlon to invest in wind power.

“That’s because it is good for the economy, good for jobs, good for local farmers and good for the environment,” Rann said.

Rann said the project will provide a big economic boost for Yorke Peninsula with more than 500 direct jobs created in construction and 50 ongoing jobs over the following 25 years.

According to Rann, Suzlon is currently preparing to implement a comprehensive community engagement and environmental assessment program.

The Ceres project is still awaiting regulatory, planning and environmental approvals. The project is targeted to be completed by end of 2015.