The Australian government has awarded RWE a feasibility license for an offshore wind farm development, near the Kent Group islands in the Bass Strait, offshore Victoria’s Gippsland coast.
It is the country’s first designated offshore wind zone.
RWE has an exclusive seven-year seabed right to develop the Kent Offshore Wind Farm project, and it can also apply for a commercial license to build and operate the development for up to 40 years.
The lease area is 67 km offshore in an average water depth of 59 m. RWE expects the wind farm to start operations in the first half of the 2030s, subject to a planning and approvals process, a secured offtake and a grid connection.
The company now plans early-stage studies to help determine the project design scope and to submit applications for planning permission. It will also engage with First Nations groups and other communities.
