FEDERAL energy minister Chris Bowen has announced that 12 feasibility licences have been granted for projects in the Gippsland Offshore Wind Zone.
The news builds on a recent announcement that RWE would enter Australia’s offshore wind market with a feasibility licence to develop its Kent offshore wind project.
RWE’s feasibility licence is one of six locked in this week, in addition to another six licences that were awarded in May, bringing the total to 12.
Minister Bowen announced via social media on 17 July that “all licences” had now been issued for the wind zone. He anticipates the projects could collectively generate up to 25 gigawatts of electricity
The latest round of licences includes Iberdrola Australia’s Aurora Green, BlueFloat Energy’s Gippsland Dawn, Origin x RES’ Navigator North, Ørsted’s Gippsland 02 project, RWE’s Kent project and Corio Generation’s Great Eastern Offshore Wind project.
The federal government in May announced its intentions to grant licences for these projects, though they were still subject to consultation with Traditional Owners at the time.
Gippsland Dawn project manager Darragh White said the feasibility licence would enable offshore metocean, geophysical and geotechnical investigations.
He said the process would involve detailed technical studies and surveys and believes the project could be operational by 2031.
“We will work closely with commercial and recreational fishers and boaters to understand how we can share the ocean,” Mr White said.
“Gippsland Dawn will continue to seek feedback and engage closely with stakeholders and the community during every step of the project’s development.”
The Navigator North offshore wind project, a joint venture between Australia’s Origin and renewable energy company RES, has the potential to deliver 1.5 gigawatts of total installed capacity to the national electricity market, the developers said.
Origin’s head of energy supply and operations Greg Jarvis said the companies would look to develop a competitive wind project they believe could provide material renewable supply to the market.
“We will place local communities and workforces at the heart of any potential Navigator North development and future operations,” he said.
And Corio Generation CEO Jonathan Cole, speaking at the Australian Clean Energy Summit earlier this week, said offshore wind technology is a proven, clean and cost-competitive form of electricity generation.
“We strongly believe the state and people of Victoria will greatly benefit from harnessing one of the world’s premier offshore wind resources,” he said.
“Developing offshore wind projects will attract large-scale and long-term investment, driving the growth of Australia’s supply chain and creating valuable new employment opportunities.”
The first projects to be issued with feasibility licences (in May) were Southerly Ten’s Star of the South and Kut-Wut Brataualung projects, Ocean Winds’ High Sea Wind, the Gippsland Skies project (by the AGL, Mainstream Renewable Power, Reventus Power and Direct Infrastructure consortium), Ørsted’s Gippsland 01 project and Parkwind’s Blue Mackerel North project.
