A planned offshore wind zone off Victoria’s coast is been approved at only a fraction of the size originally planned after community groups and environmental lobbyists voiced their concerns about the impact on marine life.
The 1,030 square kilometres (397 square miles) wind zone, an area where offshore wind farm infrastructure, a driver of clean renewable energy can be built, will be located 20 kilometres off the Western Victoria coast at Warrnambool and Port Fairy.
It will be the third officially declared off-shore zone in Australia, with the first being an area of the Bass Strait off Gippsland announced in December 2022.
Offshore wind farms work by utilising undersea cables to harness and transport energy generated by sea-based wind turbines to a grid.
The works around were originally planned to stretch from Warrnambool in Victoria up to Port MacDonnell in South Australia, around the Bonney Upwelling, Deen Maar Island, and shipping routes, taking in an area of more than 5,000 square kilometres.
The South Australian government, however, was not sold on the idea of the power generated by the grid being used exclusively in Victoria. They also held concerns about the impact on their rock lobster industry which is worth nearly $200 million (US$130 million) to the state.
The zone would now no longer take in any part of South Australia’s coast, announced Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen on March 6.
In a joint release with Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio, Mr. Bowen said the new zone “accounted for the area’s environmental, cultural heritage, and economic significance.”
Ms. D’Ambrosio said, “Victoria is leading the way in offshore wind,” and the new project was “another step closer to delivering our target of at least 2 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2032 and will also help us get to net zero by 2045.”
The new zone is expected to produce 2.9 gigawatts which is enough to provide power to 2,000 Victorian households, but is significantly lower than an earlier estimate of 14.6GW.
Mr. Bowen said, “Australia has abundant renewable energy, the cheapest form of energy, and the government is committed to helping Australians benefit from these natural resources, including offshore wind.”
The project is also expected to produce jobs, in particular in the town of Portland, home to a large-scale aluminium smelter that uses 10 percent of Victoria’s electricity and employs around 650 people.
The Victorian government has said a significant number of roles are involved in developing and constructing offshore wind farms, including 1,740 roles for engineers, labourers, technicians, operators, riggers, divers, and administrators.
Across Australia, the sector is estimated to require up to 2,300—4,000 workers from the mid-2030s with an estimated 1,500—1,750 ongoing jobs across the assets’ lifetime.
Those entities interested in developing offshore wind farms within the new zone must apply for feasibility licences and the application period is open from March 6 until July 2.
Requirements of licencing include developers making detailed environmental assessments and engaging in further consultation, including how the project will coexist with shipping, tourism, and fishing industries and how it will benefit Australian industry and jobs, said the government.
