The Australian government has issued feasibility licences for six additional projects in the Gippsland offshore wind zone off the coast of Victoria, marking a significant stride towards expanding the nation's renewable energy capacity. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed the developments on Wednesday, highlighting the potential of these projects to collectively generate 25 GW of power.
According to Bowen's statement, “All licences have now been issued for Gippsland offshore wind, with the 12 projects possessing licences having the potential to generate 25 GW of power.” This move follows the recent granting of feasibility licences to various developers, including RWE for the up-to-2-GW Kent Offshore Wind Farm project and a collaboration between Origin Energy and UK-based RES for the 1.5-GW Navigator North offshore project.
Corio Generation, part of the Macquarie Group, has also secured a feasibility licence for the 2.5-GW Great Eastern Offshore Wind project, positioned approximately 22 kilometers off the central Gippsland coast east of Wilsons Promontory. Additionally, BlueFloat Energy received a licence for their up-to-2.1-GW Gippsland Dawn offshore wind project.
Among the licensed projects are Iberdrola's Aurora Green offshore wind project, potentially reaching up to 3 GW, and Orsted's Gippsland Offshore Wind Farm, with a total potential capacity of 4.8 GW.
Feasibility licences authorize developers to conduct essential site investigations and environmental assessments. Successful completion of the feasibility stage allows developers to proceed with applications for commercial licences, marking a crucial step towards realizing these offshore wind projects and contributing significantly to Australia's renewable energy goals.
