The developers behind the 1.5 GW Navigator North offshore wind farm in Australia have announced that they do not plan to participate in the state’s first round auction.
The Navigator North offshore wind farm is being developed by a joint venture between Origin Energy and Renewable Energy Systems (RES).
In July 2024, the project was awarded a feasibility licence as part of the Australian government’s allocation within Victoria’s declared Gippsland offshore wind zone. It was one of the twelve licenses issued, which enabled the developers to commence a detailed assessment of the project’s feasibility.
The offshore wind farm is planned to be built approximately 34 kilometres from shore and covers an area of 700 square kilometres.
Origin and RES said that they do not intend to participate in the initial auction based on the material provided, including the publicly disclosed timeline of 2032.
“The ultimate decision on whether to participate will be made once final auction materials are made available. The Origin X RES Joint Venture intends to continue to progress development activities on the Navigator North project, and awaits details on future auctions for the 2035 and 2040 delivery timelines for offshore wind,” added the joint venture.
In April 2025, the Victorian government announced that it would launch an offshore wind auction in September. The state expects to award contracts by the fourth quarter of 2026.
Victoria plans to install 2 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2032 and has set offshore wind energy targets of 4 GW by 2035 and 9 GW by 2040.