Ocean Winds (OW) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Monash University to work together on establishing a sustainable supply chain for Australia’s offshore wind sector and to explore methods for conserving the nation’s biodiversity.
As Ocean Winds expands to Australia with its High Sea Wind project, awarded on 1 May 2024, the partnership will seek to advance environmental assessment methodologies, monitor pathways and predictive tools to optimise outcomes in both energy transition and wildlife conservation.
OW, a 50:50 partnership between ENGIE and EDP Renewables, and the Australian university will aim to drive economic growth and create jobs within the country’s offshore wind sector, said the partners.
Their collaboration will have a special focus on workforce development initiatives in order to address specific skills needed in the offshore wind industry, according to OW.
“By combining our expertise in offshore wind energy with Monash University’s research capabilities, we aim to drive positive environmental outcomes and contribute to Australia’s sustainable energy transition through offshore wind,” said Rafael Munilla Muñoz , Chief Business Development Officer for Ocean Winds.
The Australian Government granted Ocean Winds a feasibility licence for a 150-square-kilometre area off the coast of Gippsland, in the state of Victoria, during the first-ever offshore wind tender in the country.
The High Sea Wind project will represent an installed capacity of 1.28 GW, the equivalent of a year of electricity for one million Victorian households, avoiding up to 5.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, said OW.