The Port of Hastings has been confirmed as the “most suitable” location for the establishment of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal to facilitate offshore wind assembly, subject to required approvals.
If approved, the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal will be capable of supporting offshore wind delivery of up to 1 GW per year, placing Hastings at the centre of Australia’s offshore wind construction and deployment, said the port.
The area of the Port of Hastings identified for the establishment of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal is the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area (OTRA), located within the port precinct between Esso’s Long Island Point and BlueScope Steel.
The OTRA site is situated within an existing port zone. The development would see the OTRA site transformed into a multiuser facility with new landside infrastructure and berths adjacent to the existing shipping channel.
The Port of Hastings has many attributes that make it an ideal location for offshore wind assembly, said the port, including large areas of available land close to deep water channels, channel capacity, proximity to existing port precincts, and proposed offshore wind farms off the Gippsland and Portland coasts.
A Referral has been submitted to the Victorian Government (EES Referral) under the Environment Effects Act 1978 to determine if an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required for the terminal project, according to the port.
The port also added it is anticipated that the Minister will determine an EES is required. Subsequently, a set of scoping requirements for matters to be investigated and documented for the EES will be issued in draft by the Minister and made available to the public.
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Public comment will open for at least 15 days prior to publication of the final scoping requirements.
The Port of Hastings Corporation has commenced some environmental monitoring which will inform the preparation of the EES. These studies, along with others to be undertaken following receipt of the scoping requirements, will support the planning and approvals process and the detailed design of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal, according to the press release.