The Australian government has provisionally approved a feasibility license for the 1.2-gigawatt Spinifex offshore wind farm project located in Victorian waters. This initiative is being developed by Alinta Energy, a domestic power and gas company, in collaboration with Belgium's Parkwind.
The license was granted under a preliminary decision, with the final award contingent upon consultations with First Nations groups, as announced by the federal government on Thursday. Once finalized, the developers will need to secure an environmental permit and apply for a commercial license before construction can commence.
“This is another step closer to delivering our target of at least 2 GW of offshore wind energy by 2032 and will also help us get to net zero by 2045,” said Lily D'Ambrosio, Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources.
The Spinifex offshore wind park is slated for installation in the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone, off Victoria's southwestern coast. Initially unveiled by Alinta Energy in late 2021, the project aims to power an aluminium smelter in Portland with up to 100% renewable energy. Parkwind joined the initiative in April.
If successful, the proposed wind complex is expected to generate electricity for approximately 650,000 local homes, covering around 10% of Victoria's current power demand.
