The Australian government has awarded the first feasibility licences for six offshore wind projects to be built offshore Gippsland in Victoria (southern Australia), with a further six licences expected to be awarded, but that will first be subject to First Nations consultation. The 12 wind projects could potentially reach up to 25 GW of capacity.
Among the largest projects, Denmark’s Ørsted was awarded two licences with the potential to generate a combined 4.8 GW of renewable energy, able to power the equivalent of four million Australian households. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) was granted a licence to develop offshore wind projects over two areas totalling 4.4 GW, while Iberdrola Australia was awrded a licence subject to First Nations consultation for the 3 GW Aurora Green site.
In addition, Gippsland Skies Offshore Wind, a consortium comprised of Mainstream Renewable Power, Reventus Power, AGL Energy and DIRECT Infrastructure, was awarded a feasibility licence for a fixed bottom 2.5 GW offshore wind project. Corio Generation was granted a feasibility licence for its 2.5 GW Great Eastern Offshore Wind project, subject to First Nations consultation, while Ocean Winds, a 50:50 joint venture between Engie and EDP Renewables, was awarded a licence for a 1.3 GW project.
Australia, which did not yet have offshore wind capacity at the end of 2023, has designated six offshore wind development zones, including Gippsland, to support the country’s 2050 net zero emissions target.
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