The Australian State of Victoria has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) as its first sub-national member.
Australia has the second-biggest offshore wind pipeline in the Asia-Pacific region, behind only China, with 50GW planned, according to a report yesterday by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), which together with Denmark and the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) had founded GOWA in late last year to boost global offshore wind capacity to 380GW in 2030.
Within Australia, the State of Victoria with its capital Melbourne, is one of the front-runners in wind at sea Down Under. Victoria has a target to reach 2GW of offshore wind by 2032, 4GW by 2035, and 9GW by 2040.
“Victoria’s application to join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance as the first sub-national member is testament to our world-leading offshore wind targets and unmatched natural wind resources,” said Lily D’Ambrosio, the State’s energy and resources minister.
“We look forward to working with our partner countries and organisations to support the acceleration and delivery of offshore wind energy in the APAC region and across the globe.”
Australia’s central government last year named the Bass Strait off Gippsland in Victoria as the nation’s first offshore wind zone, which it said could support more than 10GW of wind at sea capacity. Several companies are already developing projects in the area, among them the 2.2GW Star of the South, led by Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
Amisha Patel, director for global public affairs in offshore wind at GWEC added: “Events like the inaugural APAC Summit in Melbourne show the enormous value of bringing together industry and regional government.
“Delivering on offshore wind potential requires input from all stakeholders, and the collaborative approach shown by the Australian and Victorian governments and industry can act as a model for other potential-rich nations looking to deliver on their offshore wind ambitions.”
