THE AUSTRALIAN government has opened consultation for a proposed offshore wind zone in the Pacific Ocean off the Hunter region.
The government said establishment of an offshore wind industry in this region could support the decarbonisation and future of onshore manufacturing powered by cheaper, cleaner energy.
Minister for climate change and energy Chris Bowen said addressing climate change is an opportunity to increase jobs in regional Australia.
“The Hunter is uniquely placed to capitalise on this,” he said.
“An offshore wind zone in the Hunter presents significant opportunities to create new energy sector and manufacturing jobs, drive economic growth and reduce emissions.”
Australia has no offshore wind power generation, despite having ample wind resources, according to a statement from the government.
It said the International Energy Agency classifies offshore wind as a “variable baseload technology” which makes it closer to the capacity of gas and coal-fired power plants, than onshore wind and solar PV. For context just one rotation of one offshore wind turbine provides as much energy as an average rooftop solar installation generates in one day, with less fluctuation than onshore wind.
The consultation process is an opportunity for all community members, workers, residents, industry groups and chambers of commerce to provide feedback. Submissions will run from February 23 to April 28.
The Hunter is one of six priority regions around Australia with world-class offshore wind potential. The Commonwealth recently declared Gippsland off the La Trobe Valley as the first region in Australia to be home to a new offshore wind industry.
The government has previously announced a further four regions earmarked for offshore wind zones. These include the Pacific Ocean region off the Illawarra in NSW, the Southern Ocean region off Portland in Victoria, the Bass Strait region off Northern Tasmania, and the Indian Ocean region off Perth/Bunbury.
