Universities join bid to launch offshore wind in Australia with new research centre

Universities from across Australia have partnered to launch the Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (ACOWE) which will seek to address key challenges facing the offshore wind energy industry in Australia.

Launched by the University of Melbourne in partnership with five other Australian universities along with key offshore wind stakeholders, ACOWE will serve as the gateway for access to multidisciplinary Australian research capabilities, acting as a trusted source of knowledge for the community and collaborating with stakeholders to advance research, teaching, and training.

The role of the ACOWE will be to help tackle the challenges unique to Australia that could prevent a ramp-up of an offshore wind energy industry – issues including a complex regulatory environment, social acceptance, workforce shortage, environmental management, supply chain gaps, and the need for site-specific engineering. 

If these challenges are not met promptly, any chance of developing offshore wind energy in Australia could be seriously hampered.

“ACOWE’s collaborative approach is essential to unlocking Australia’s renewable energy portfolio because no single organisation can deliver the cross-functional support needed by governments, communities and industry,” said Shiaohuey Chow, ACOWE Director and University of Melbourne Associate Professor.

The ACOWE will involve collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Federation University, the University of Newcastle, The University of Western Australia and the University of Wollongong.

Developing an offshore wind labour force is key among the tasks ahead of the ACOWE, offering training and education to those looking to enter the energy sector that will provide the necessary skills for building and maintaining offshore and onshore infrastructure.  

The Centre will build on work already being done in individual universities to streamline and focus the necessary skills and capabilities to support the country’s emerging offshore wind industry.

“We are delighted to see the Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy come to fruition,” said Nick Birbilis, executive dean of Deakin University’s faculty of science, engineering, and built environment.

“Deakin has had a long history supporting the emerging offshore wind energy sector, including undertaking biodiversity surveys for the Star of the South, Australia’s likely first offshore wind farm, and we have also been working closely with other proponents and the State and Federal Government agencies across a range of programs.”

“Deakin University is excited to contribute to Australia’s net zero goals through this initiative,” said Daniel Ierodiaconou, a Deakin Associate Professor in Marine Science and steering committee representative on the ACOWE.

“By uniting leading experts from various universities, we can tackle the complex challenges of offshore wind energy and ensure our research drives tangible impacts in industry policy, and for our communities.

“This is particularly complex in the biodiversity space and ACOWE will have a role in ensuring there is a strong scientific evidence base to inform decision-making and that all developments are socially and ecologically sustainable.”