Development of the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone that Peter Dutton has pledged to rescind under a Coalition government has moved ahead this week, with federal energy minister Chris Bowen making a final decision to offer the 1.2 GW (gigawatt) Spinifex project a feasibility licence.
The decision, which follows up on a preliminary offer in September last year, gives the all clear for the project’s developers – Alinta Energy and Jera Nex (Parkwind) – to consult further with affected Victorian coastal communities and the fishing industry and undertake environmental assessments.
The $4 billion Spinifex wind farm proposes to host between 50 and 75 turbines and would potentially supply 10 per cent of the electricity needs of Victoria – although Alinta has plans to use its output to power the Portland aluminium smelter.
The comparatively small Southern Ocean zone (1,030 km2) was chosen for its access to existing heavy duty transmission infrastructure at the smelter. Spinifex’s planned wind farm will cover just 265 km2 of the declared zone.
The small but important step forward for Spinifex project’s developers comes just a few weeks after the leader of the opposition stood alongside the the LNP’s federal member for Wannon as he pledged the federal Coalition would rescind the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone if elected in May and tear up any contracts connected with it.
In a statement and video message, Tehan accused federal Labor of showing “complete disregard for the people of Warrnambool and Port Fairy in their desperate push to impose a renewables-only electricity grid.”
“Enough is enough,” Tehan says. “A Dutton Coalition government will ensure this bungled project does not proceed.”
In a statement on Friday, Bowen also said that federal Labor was “fixing the broken offshore wind plan left behind by the Coalition,” to deliver the renewable energy Australia’s grid needs along with jobs and an economic boost to the region.
“We back offshore wind because done right it has huge potential for jobs, new industry, and clean, reliable renewable energy in Portland and beyond,” the minister said.
“Peter Dutton prefers to cheer on job losses with his backflip on offshore wind in favour of a $600 billion nuclear scheme that won’t deliver enough power to keep the Portland smelter running and will see the end of regional Victoria’s industry.”
Bowen also stressed that the Spinifex project still must obtain all necessary developmental and environmental approvals before applying for the commercial licence that will allow construction to begin.
He says a newly established Southern Ocean Wind Industry Committee – comprising Spinifex, Victorian and local governments, First Nations groups, local industry and workers’ representatives – will work together to maximise the project’s economic and social benefits.
Bowen has also kicked along proceedings at Victoria’s other offshore wind zone – and the first to be declared in Australian waters – announcing the first management plan has been approved by the independent Offshore Infrastructure Registrar to Blue Mackerel North.
The 1 GW Blue Mackerel North project, which currently holds a feasibility licence in Gippsland offshore wind zone, is another project being led by Japan’s Jera Nex.
Bowen says the management plan paves the way for their next step in assessing the commercial viability of a project, including geotechnical and metocean investigations.
Meanwhile, reports emerged on Friday that the sole contender for a project in the Illawarra offshore wind zone off the coast of New South Wales, the 1.6 GW South Pacific project being proposed by BlueFloat Energy, has asked for a pause in its application until after the election.
According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, BlueFloat has “requested the Commonwealth government consider not offering any licences in the Illawarra zone until after the upcoming federal election”.
The Illawarra offshore wind zone is one of six around Australia that have been formally declared by Bowen in, and the only one of those zones that will require projects to use floating turbine technology.
