THE AUSTRALIAN Government has declared the latest area off the nation’s coast they believe suitable for the construction of offshore wind projects.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water declared that an area in the Pacific Ocean offshore from Illawarra in New South Wales was suitable for offshore renewable energy, such as offshore wind.
The announcement given effect by the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Declaration 2024.
An area spanning 1022 kilometres square offshore from Wombarra to Kiamba has been mapped for the future project.
Chris Bowne, the minister for climate change and energy, stated that by declaring the area, the Government is identifying where more environmental assessments and investigations are needed to inform future development options.
The Illawarra region is one of 6 priority areas identified for offshore wind development in Australian waters, with an area off the Hunter region having been declared in July 2023.
The Government says the Illawarra region is well suited for offshore wind due factors such as; strong consistent winds, proximity to areas of high electricity demand, proximity to existing grid connections, and the potential to support infrastructure via Port Kembla.
The declaration follows a period of public consultation with communities from the Illawarra region in late 2023 and is considered the first step in future projects being solidified. Offshore wind projects do not currently have approval.
Following over 14,000 submissions received from local communities, the declared area is smaller than originally proposed, moved 10 kilometres further out than the original area to minimise visual impacts, as well as avoiding marine parks.
The Federal Government believes that a future project in the mapped area could create 1740 new jobs during construction and 870 ongoing, and say the project has the potential to generate 2.9 gigawatts of energy, enough to power 1.8 million homes.
The Government has not yet selected a developer for the potential project, with companies invited to apply for a feasibility license.
Once received, the prospective developer would then need to undertake a range of scientific studies to determine the optimal location, size and arrangement of turbines, as well as consult on the location and placement of any future turbines.
The Government’s pursuit of offshore wind prospects comes as 90 percent of Australia’s ageing coal fired power stations are slated to close by 2035, with wind farms offering a large scale, reliable, and clean energy source, supporting a transition to renewable energy and to reach net-zero by 2050.
