Floating Offshore Wind

Image Credit: Shannon Hartigan Images

Australia's Ambition

In Australia, the Commonwealth Government has sovereignty over waters to the edge of the territorial sea, including the seabed beneath these waters. No offshore wind farms have been approved or constructed to date. Introducing offshore wind in Australia is underpinned by Federal policy; and supports the state policy: The Australian Commonwealth Government policy states commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, including the target of growing its renewable share of the National Electricity Market to 82 per cent by 2030.

The NSW Government has formed an Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap that is aligned with the Commonwealth Government’s Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020–2030.

Offshore

Offshore Wind Zone Declared off the Hunter Coast

Floating wind technology meets the challenges of Australian deep waters and opens access to offshore wind resource, which has never been done in Australian waters before.

The Hunter offshore area is relatively close to the transmission network enabling connection with load centre (electricity demand), whilst having reduced visual impacts to community as locations are further out to sea.

Compared to onshore wind farms, offshore wind farms benefit from access to higher average and more consistent wind speeds and allows for optimal spacing. This allows for increased energy yield and higher capacity factors leading to competitive Levelised Costs of Energy (LCoE).

Australian Government’s declaration of Hunter zone: Australian Government declares offshore wind zone off the Hunter coast | OIR
Australian Offshore Infrastructure Regulator: Home | OIR
Australian Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority Home | NOPSEMA

Spain’s

objectives
for 2030:

1-3GW

Portugal's

objectives for the following years:

6-8GW

IBW’s

objectives:

Multi-gigawatts

(hundreds of thousands of homes)

Potential maritime area for floating offshore wind

8,000km²