Plans for a 2GW offshore wind farm off the Australian state of Victoria have been unveiled by developer Vena Energy, the latest in a swelling line-up of giant projects slated for the nation’s seas.
Singapore-based Vena Energy said its multi-stage Blue Marlin project in the Gippsland Basin could use turbines as powerful as 21MW, with construction beginning from 2028.
The fixed-foundation project is earmarked for a site more than 23km offshore in 55-metres of water.
Owen Seal, head of Vena Energy in Australia, said: “Recent changes in regulation and market landscape has highlighted the importance of offshore wind as a large-scale renewable energy source that has the potential to deliver improved security of supply, greater diversity in the energy mix, and better outcomes for electricity consumers.”
Vena Energy said at full power the project has the potential to meet 10,000GWh of power annually, meeting 20% of Victoria’s needs in 2040. The state is home to Melbourne, one of the nation's biggest population centres.
The huge plan underlines the Gippsland Basin and Victoria’s status as Australia’s offshore wind pacesetters.
The seas off Victoria are home to a clutch of planned pioneering Australian projects, including the 2.2GW Star of the South led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners that is set to be the nation’s first in the water.
Victoria gave the sector a big boost in March when it announced Australia’s first offshore wind target of at least 2GW by 2032, with goals of 4GW by 2035 and 9GW by 2040 following on.
The Bass Strait off Gippsland is in line to be the first designated development area assessed by Australia’s federal government under plans unveiled in August to create six areas for projects to flourish.
