May 30 (Renewables Now) - A four-party consortium including global developer Mainstream Renewable Power and Australian power producer AGL Energy Ltd (ASX:AGL) has submitted a feasibility licence application for a 2.5-GW offshore wind project off the coast of Gippsland in the Australian state of Victoria.
The area in the Bass Strait offshore Gippsland was declared at the end of 2022 as Australia’s first offshore wind zone. Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, after that invited applications for feasibility licences for proposed projects in the area, which needed to be made in the period from January 23 to April 27.
The consortium, which today said it will seek to play a leading role in developing the nascent Australian offshore wind industry, also includes Reventus Power, an entity set up by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), and Australian offshore wind developer DIRECT Infrastructure Pty Ltd.
The 15,000 sq km zone could potentially accommodate more than 10 GW of generation, the team of global and Australian players noted.
AGL sees wind energy as a key part of its portfolio transition. “AGL’s strategy to bring forward our targeted exit from coal to 2035 is coupled with an ambition to supply our customers with 12 GW of additional renewable and firming capacity,” said chief financial officer Gary Brown, adding that the company is committed to working with its employees and the community in the Gippsland region to ensure the decarbonisation of its energy system provides opportunities.
A number of offshore wind players have proposed projects offshore Gippsland. The companies that have applied for feasibility licences for instance include Shell and https://renewablesnow.com/news/sse-equis-team-up-to-target-australias-gi... target="_blank">SSE Renewables.
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