The government of Australia’s state of Victoria has released the Offshore Wind Policy Directions Paper which sets the target of the first offshore wind power coming online by 2028.
The plan includes procuring projects that will generate at least 2 GW of offshore wind online by 2032 following a competitive process, with targets of 4 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035 and 9 GW by 2040.
Victoria has some of the world’s best offshore wind resources, with this state’s coastal regions hosting the potential to support 13 GW of capacity by 2050 – five times the current renewable generation in Victoria.
Maximising the potential of the state’s wind resources could sustain up to 6,100 jobs – 3,100 local jobs for 15 years during the development and construction phases, with an additional 3,000 ongoing jobs during operations, the government said.
To kickstart development plans, the Victorian government is planning a consultation process to ensure that Traditional Owners, local communities, and the industry can have their say on the Policy Directions paper and the state’s approach to establishing offshore wind. It is expected consultation will commence in April 2022.
The up to 2.2 GW Star of the South is the first and most progressed offshore wind project in Victoria and is being developed to deliver clean energy to the grid by 2028, the developer said.
Star of the South is expected to generate 2,000 Victorian jobs over its with direct investment of USD 8.7 billion into the Victorian economy.
”This plan helps pave the way for the up to 2.2GW Star of the South project off the coast of Gippsland, which would harness Bass Strait’s strong offshore wind – powering homes with clean energy and creating around 2000 Victorian jobs over its lifetime,” Star of the South CEO, Casper Frost Thorhauge , said.
”We’ll review the Directions Paper in detail over the coming days to learn more and look forward to supporting government to deliver on its strong offshore wind ambition of 9GW by 2040.”