The Victorian Government has announced its support for the initial survey of seabed conditions off the coast of Gippsland for the Star of the South offshore wind energy project.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio announced the launch of Australia’s first marine geotechnical campaign for offshore wind generation.
“This will be the first marine geotechnical campaign in Australia for offshore wind energy — which is a huge achievement for Victoria as it makes the transition from coal to renewables,” Minister D’Ambrosio said.
Through the Energy Innovation Fund, the State Government contributed $19.5 million towards the pre-construction work for the Star of the South Offshore Wind Project, making the project feasible to move forward.
A specialised vessel and crew will spend five weeks at sea collecting soil and rock samples from up to 70 metres beneath the seafloor, with the findings assisting in the design of the proposed offshore wind energy farm to fit local seabed conditions.
In addition, samples will be collected from 22 different places inside the project’s 2019 Exploration Licence area.
Victoria will host Australia’s first offshore wind farm and is leading the country with offshore wind energy ambitions of at least 2 gigawatts by 2032, 4 gigawatts by 2035, and 9 gigawatts by 2040.
“Gippsland will be a critical part of Victoria’s offshore wind energy industry which is already attracting lots of local investment that in turn will create regional jobs driving the transformation of the state’s energy sector,” Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale stated.
The State Government added that Victoria’s 2045 zero-emissions goal is also leading the way. The switch from coal to cheaper, more dependable renewables is estimated to produce $9.5 billion in economic growth and 59,000 new jobs.
“Offshore Wind energy will play a critical role in helping Victoria to achieve its target of net-zero emissions by 2045 and Gippsland will be at the centre of this transformation,” Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh said.
The Andrews Government is also unveiling the Offshore Wind Implementation Statements to assist industry and the Victorian community in offshore wind development.
Offshore Wind Energy Victoria (OWEV) is designing a comprehensive assistance package to give project developers and financiers assurance to build offshore wind projects in Victoria.
