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BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate unveils three Australian projects

By: Tom Russell 22/12/2021 BlueFloat Energy

General Windfarms

BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate have unveiled the first three offshore wind projects that they are developing together in Australia.

BlueFloat Energy has a growing pipeline of offshore wind projects in multiple markets, and the first three projects in Australia build on the recent announcement of the partnership with Energy Estate and Elemental Group in New Zealand. Nick Sankey, based in Melbourne, has been appointed as Country Manager for BlueFloat Energy to help accelerate development activities.

The first three projects being developed in Australia by BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate include Hunter Coast Offshore Wind Project, a 1.4 GW project that will use floating wind technology and will be located off the coast south of Newcastle in the Hunter Coast region of New South Wales (NSW).

The second project is the Wollongong Offshore Wind Farm, a 1.6 GW array which will also use floating wind technology and will be located across two sites off the coast from Wollongong in the Illawarra region of NSW.

The last project is the 1.3 GW Greater Gippsland Offshore Wind Project which will use bottom-fixed technology and will be located off the coast of the Gippsland region of Victoria.

The partnership is also assessing a number of additional sites in each of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and plans to announce further projects in early 2022.

“The timing of our announcement comes hot on the heels of Australia’s Federal Government passing legislation that provides a framework for developing offshore wind projects here. This is a pivotal step as the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2021 establishes a regulatory scaffold to enable the construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of offshore electricity infrastructure,” said Nick Sankey.

Carlos Martin, CEO of BlueFloat Energy stated: “Offshore wind energy is booming globally and now it is Australia’s time. We are excited by the prospect of introducing the two types of offshore wind technology (floating and fixed) into Australia, as this will enable us to harness some of the best offshore wind resources globally. The combination of world-class wind resources, the transition from fossil fuels, and suitable maritime conditions is an ideal platform for large-scale energy infrastructure projects being built close to load sources. As experts in offshore wind development with strong technical knowledge, Bluefloat Energy are excited about what can be achieved here in Australia.”

Rosie King, Director of Engagement at Energy Estate said “BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate’s shared set of values includes actively taking steps to support training and promoting opportunities for workers to move into new roles that will be created by the offshore wind industry. We believe that the best outcomes for stakeholders and local communities will be achieved if governments and the industry collaborate from the outset. Change can be viewed as unsettling, but not if it is managed properly by open engagement with those impacted.”

The Hunter Coast Offshore Wind Project will be located in the offshore wind renewable energy zone identified by AEMO in the draft 2022 Integrated System Plan. This project is proposed support the revitalisation of the Hunter region as it transitions from coal-fired power. It aims to supply existing large energy users such as Tomago’s aluminium smelter as well as the emerging loads such as green hydrogen being promoted by the Hunter Hydrogen Hub.

The Wollongong Offshore Wind Project will be located across two sites in the NSW offshore wind renewable energy zone. This large-scale floating wind project is proposed to support the existing industrial ecosystem in the Illawarra and facilitate the growth of new industries in the region, including green hydrogen for export and domestic markets such as mobility. It is being supported by a local delivery partner PPM, a Wollongong-based firm. Together with Energy Estate, PPM is developing the Illawarra Clean Coast Ecosystem with the goal of revitalising existing infrastructure from the resources industry and combining offshore wind with new industrial precincts, green hydrogen production and long duration energy storage.

In Victoria, the Greater Gippsland Offshore Wind Project is located in the Bass Strait and is intended to build on the momentum for an accelerated retirement of brown coal projects in the La Trobe Valley and is aims to complement the existing and planned transmission infrastructure in Gippsland.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate unveils three Australian projects

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