Offshore staff
FREDERICIA/COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The Australian government has granted Ørsted a feasibility license for its first offshore wind project off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria.
A license should follow shortly for a second project in the same region, subject to consultation. Both are located 56 to 100 km offshore and in an average water depth of 60 m.
Next steps will include site investigations, environmental assessments and supply chain development actions. Ørsted also plans to bid in future auctions staged by the Victorian government to support the state’s target of 9 GW offshore wind by 2040.
The first auction should open in late 2025.
Subject to a final investment decision, the two projects should be completed in phases from the early 2030s onward, with a focus on synergies through shared resources and economies of scale.
Ørsted estimates the cluster could generate a combined 4.8 GW for local domestic purposes (2.8 GW from license area 1 and 2 GW from license area 2).
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its Flagship Funds, has secured two licenses under Australia’s first offshore wind feasibility license process.
It gives CIP site exclusivity to develop offshore wind projects over two areas, 586 sq km and 689 sq km, with potential combined capacity of up to 4.4 GW.
The company has established Southerly Ten as a specialist developer and deliverer of its offshore wind projects in Australia, including Star of the South and Kut-Wut Brataualung.
