From: Eric | 6/9/2024 12:09:39 PM | | | | Winds of fortune: Coal workers eye “jobs for life” with offshore renewables
Image: OX2 Marion Rae
June 9, 2024
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When Tony Wolfe started out as an apprentice, aged 15, at the Hazelwood coal-fired power station he had a job for life.
Now he has a six-year-old granddaughter and says he wants her to have an opportunity to enter the energy industry, with long-term career prospects, rather than have to leave her region in 10 years to find work.
“I’m a coal worker advocating for renewables, so I’m a bit of a square peg in a round hole,” he said during a visit to Parliament House in Canberra with the team behind one of Australia’s most advanced offshore wind projects.
“I’ve been advocating for renewables for about 15 years, because the writing’s been on the wall that coal is going to end.”
But he’s concerned that a decade from now, the offshore wind industry – long established elsewhere – will still be in its infancy in Australia.
“The thing that exercises my mind is the urgency with which we need to do this within Gippsland … I don’t think people understand,” Mr Wolfe said.
“We’ve got to build a complete new workforce for this industry, and we’ve got the opportunity to make that workforce truly reflective of the community that it serves, and I mean gender-balanced, diverse and flexible.”
Closure dates are in place for all of Victoria’s coal-fired power stations, including one of Australia’s biggest – Yallourn in Latrobe Valley – in 2028.
That’s just around the corner, and if the state meets its offshore wind target to make two gigawatts by 2032, it will just cover the closure of Yallourn, Mr Wolfe warned.
“The question I get asked is: why haven’t they started building yet,” he said.
 Former coal worker Tony Wolfe has been advocating for renewables because “coal is going to end”. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)
Australia’s most carbon-intensive electricity generator, Hazelwood and its coal mine were shut in 2017 and the area became a political battleground in the country’s ongoing climate wars.
Some say why not use the 800 years of coal we’re leaving in the ground, but Mr Wolfe said the best thing to happen to the region was getting the end date set in place.
Fifth-generation Novocastrian, Sharon Claydon, who is deputy speaker and federal MP for Newcastle, is equally excited about what new energy sources will bring to her region.
Once known as a steel city, BHP was Newcastle’s biggest employer until the steelworks closed in 1999, leaving a deepwater port and plenty of industrial land adjacent to a future Hunter offshore wind zone located off the coast of NSW.
“Twenty-odd years ago now, BHP, in a boardroom somewhere across the other side of the globe, made a decision that they were going to shut up shop in Newcastle and leave us,” Ms Claydon said.
“There was a bit of a divorce settlement that went on for a while, and a lot of people who don’t know Newcastle wrote us off.”
Ms Claydon says the region has a highly skilled workforce that already knows what to do with energy, a great university and TAFE, and is perfect geographically for offshore wind.
Health and education have become the biggest employers, alongside plans for a thoughtful transition in the way the area generates, stores and distributes energy, including to new advanced manufacturing workshops.
Chief executive of Southerly Ten, Charles Rattray, leads the team behind Australia’s most advanced offshore wind projects, Star of the South, located 10km off the south coast of Gippsland, which could supply one-fifth of Victoria’s electricity.
Backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Southerly Ten also a proposal for Destiny Wind off the Hunter coast and the Kut-Wut Brataualung project off Wilsons Promontory in Victoria.
“If we were to build these three projects, we’re talking about thousands of jobs and over $20 billion of investment into the Australian economy,” Mr Rattray said.
“It’s a really significant, generation-changing investment in Australia’s energy transition,” he said.
Mr Rattray said offshore wind had a very special role in the electricity grid because of the way it dovetails with onshore wind.
When onshore wind is at a low ebb or when solar farms power down with the sun, offshore Gippsland wind is typically an incredible wind resource at times of peak demand, he explained.
There’s a similar characteristic ahead for Newcastle, along with what is known as solar-wind complementarity, in a national grid where different renewable electricity sources and energy storage will co-exist.
He said investors have been particularly keen to get started in Gippsland, with the state’s offshore wind targets providing certainty.
Daniel Miller, CEO of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, said they have had 100 years of extractive industry.
“There’s three big holes in the ground in Latrobe Valley and also 23 oil and gas rigs offshore,” he said.
“We’ve had energy security because of that but the legacy it’s left is really significant … this opportunity can take us into the future and not have that impact to country.”
Mr Miller said offshore wind represents a “once-in-a-generation or greater” opportunity for the Gunaikurnai people who have native title over a large part of Gippsland, which is directly adjacent to the first offshore wind zone set for Australia.
“Southerly Ten have a higher social conscience and value traditional owners the way that they should,” he added.
Others are also lining up to secure licences to develop in six priority offshore wind areas, dotted around the coastline, but the NSW government has been told to get up to speed.
“The Hunter is well and truly under transition … we’ve had coal-fired power stations close, we’ve had coal mines close, we’re an industry region,” Justin Page, co-ordinator of the Hunter Jobs Alliance, said.
He said there was also a solid manufacturing base and no reason why the region couldn’t start making the wind towers.
“Aim big … there’s no reason why we can’t shoot for the stars,” Mr Page said.
The real measure of success would be the use of local companies to create long-term meaningful jobs and prosperity for our regions, he said.
It typically takes around seven to 10 years to develop an offshore wind project, and a handful of feasibility licences were recently issued.
Historically, there’s been bipartisan support with the coalition passing legislation for offshore electricity infrastructure and the Labor government putting the meat on the bones with licensing and regulations.
But the states are going at different wind speeds, with Victoria well ahead of NSW, Mr Page warned.
AAP
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From: Ron | 6/10/2024 2:02:02 PM | | | | Wind turbines are not a major cause of bird deaths. If you want to protect birds, keep your cat indoors
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From: Eric | 6/12/2024 10:35:26 AM | | | | Netherlands awards 4GW of offshore wind in zero-subsidy tender
Joshua S Hill
Jun 12, 2024
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Renewables Wind
The Netherlands has awarded permits for four gigawatts (GW) of new offshore wind capacity in its latest zero-subsidy tender, with the projects to include floating solar farms, artificial reefs and a green hydrogen facility.
The two winning sites are located in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone, around 62 kms off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. Each will boast a capacity of at least 2GW for a combined capacity of 4GW – which will provide around 14 per cent of the Netherlands current electricity consumption.
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) said the contracts went to two consorta that had to meet a number of criteria through their applications designed to strengthen the ecological and environmental benefits of the wind farms.
A consortium consisting of ABP, APG, and SSE Renewables won the right to develop the 2GW “Alpha” site. The “Noordzeker” consortium project will include a “living laboratory” which will build artificial reefs on over 75 per cent of the wind turbines.

Image Credit: Netherlands Enterprise Agency
Noordzeker’s plans also include turbine and wind farm designs that will contribute to the protection of birds and contains measures that will significantly reduce disturbance to marine mammals during construction and operation.
The second consortium, Zeevonk, made up of Vattenfall and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), was awarded the contract to build the IJmuiden Ver Beta wind farm.
In addition to the 2GW offshore wind farm, IJmuiden Ver Beta will also consist of a 50MW floating solar farm, the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, while a 1GW green hydrogen electrolyser will be built onshore in the port of Rotterdam.
“The Netherlands is taking yet another major step forward in the energy transition with IJmuiden Ver,” said Martijn Hagens, CEO of Vattenfall Netherlands.
“Combining wind, solar and hydrogen, this project will create a state-of-the-art energy system and support further decarbonisation of industries and our society. We are extremely proud to have been awarded this permit and look forward to implementing our plans for this energy park together with CIP.”
While there have been come concerns raised around the economic sustainability of Netherlands’ zero-subsidy tenders, this latest tender nevertheless received several bids, and both consortia have committed to paying the state for the right to develop and operate the wind farms.
“It shows that wind farms and nature can go well together and that offshore wind with smart solutions can help reduce pressure on the onshore power grid,” said Rob Jetten, the Netherlands’ minister for climate and energy.
” Market conditions have become more complicated, so I am extra happy that these parties want to build offshore wind farms!”
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From: Eric | 6/12/2024 2:33:46 PM | | | | Construction begins on new big battery next to one of Australia’s oldest wind farms

Pacific Blue’s Clements Gap wind farm in South Australia Giles Parkinson
Jun 12, 2024
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Battery Storage
Construction has begun on a new 130 MWh big battery that is located next to one ofAustralia’s oldest wind farms.
Pacific Blue, formerly known as Pacific Hydro, says it is building a 60 MW, 130 MWh grid scale battery at Clements Gap, near Port Pirie in South Australia, next to the 57 MW Clements Gap wind farm that was built in 2010.
The new battery is one of a number of new battery storage projects being built in South Australia as the state makes the next leap from around 75 per cent renewables (wind and solar) to its newly fast tracked target of 100 per cent net renewables by 2030.
Other battery projects under construction in South Australia include Neoen’s Blyth battery and Zen Energy’s Templers battery, while Origin has flagged a battery project at Templers Creek and Enel Green Power is considering a battery at the Bungala solar farm.
South Australia already has four operating big batteries – at Hornsdale, Lake Bonney, Dalrymple North and Torrens Island, with another awaiting commissioning at Tailem Bend. Many other battery projects are in the pipeline awaiting development approval, contracts or financial close.
The Clements Gap battery, however, is the first for Pacific Blue, which was one of the first major renewable energy developers in Australia and has 665 MW of operating wind, solar and hydro assets. After a lengthy pause in new projects it now says it has a pipeline of more than 2.5 GW of new renewables and storage projects.
Pacific Blue was founded in Melbourne in 1992, but in 2016 was bought – and renamed – by the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), one of the five major power generation groups in China and the largest solar power generation enterprise in the world. The battery appears to be the first new project since that change of ownership.
“The focus of Australia’s energy transition so far has overwhelmingly been on the generation of renewable energy – storing that energy and deploying it to support grid stability is the missing piece and a critical component of Australia’s renewable energy transition,” CEO Dominic Capomolla said in a statement.
State energy minister Tom Koutsantonis says the battery project will help reduce peak wholesale prices by increasing the amount of available power when it is needed most.
“It is encouraging to see a new company joining the others who have already installed or are building grid-scale batteries,” he said.
“This will increase competition in the South Australian market for ancillary services and in the wholesale market. It will assist the whole state as we transition to cleaner, more affordable and reliable energy.”
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From: Eric | 6/18/2024 12:29:42 PM | | | | Works begin on second stage of Golden Plains wind farm – largest in Southern Hemisphere
Golden Plains wind farm. Source: TagEnergy Sophie Vorrath
Jun 19, 2024 0
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Construction is underway on the second stage of what is said to be the largest onshore wind currently being developed in Australia, and the southern hemisphere, after TagEnergy reached financial close on part two of its $4 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm in Victoria.
TagEnergy says works will begin on the final 577MW stage of the massive 1,333MW project after securing non-recourse finance from a global group of lenders including the federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
Australia’s Commonwealth and Westpac banks, Denmark’s Export & Investment Fund, Japan’s Mizuho Bank, France’s Natixis Bank, the Bank of China and Germany’s Deutsche Bank also helped finance the project.
The CEFC commitment to stage two of Golden Plains takes its debt finance in the project to some $350 million, alongside the previous investment of $222.5 million in stage one.
“We are now in the critical decade to reduce emissions and Australia must urgently develop the assets that will deliver more clean energy to the grid,” said CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth.
“Golden Plains Wind Farm will play a significant role in helping Australia reach net zero as well as replacing the energy supply that will be lost when Yallourn coal fired power station retires in 2028.”
Learmonth says the green bank used the same “bridge to contract” finance strategy that had helped fast track construction of Golden Plains Stage 1, which has son far contracted 60 per cent of its energy and green certificates – 20% to digital infrastructure company Equinix and 40% to federal government-owned gentailer Snowy Hydro.
“The CEFC capital will enable construction to begin before Stage 2 secures power purchase agreements, ensuring faster deployment of clean, green power to Victorian consumers,” Learmonth said.
Vestas will again supply the turbines for the stage 2 project, 93 of them, while contracts were also extended for AusNet Services to undertake the grid connection works and WestWind Energy to be the asset manager.
Andrew Riggs, TagEnergy’s managing partner in Australia, says the delivery of the project has been buoyed by federal Labor’s Capacity Investment Scheme, which is currently seeking 6 GW of new wind and solar capacity in its first major tender.
“The supportive policy landscape created by the CIS has given us confidence to start construction of Golden Plains Stage 2 now,” Riggs said.
“Commencing construction will maximise project delivery certainty and strengthen the competitiveness of our bid in the upcoming CIS auction.”
Riggs says the cooperation and strong progress of the teams working on stage one, as well as the pace of the assessment and approval process for grid connection, have also helped ensure the project’s success.
“The diligence and expertise of the grid connection teams at Vestas and AEMO Victoria who leveraged best practices developed during the adjacent 756MW Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 1 connection process reduced the assessment period from nine months to five months,” he said.
“This significant achievement is a great contribution to the speed and economics of Australia’s energy transition.
“This mega-project materially improves Victoria’s energy security, puts downward pressure on electricity costs and dramatically reduces carbon pollution. Together with our partners, we are accelerating the energy transition.”
TagEnergy says that with both stages of the huge project now underway, more than 350 people are expected to be working on site.
Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 1 is expected to start producing green energy in the first quarter of 2025, with Stage 2 to follow in mid-2027. Once complete, Golden Plains Wind Farm will be the biggest in Australia, delivering 9% of Victoria’s energy, or enough to power more than 750,000 homes – the equivalent of every home in regional Victoria.
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From: Eric | 6/18/2024 2:42:14 PM | | | | “New wave” of offshore wind primes industry for decade of records
Image: OX2 Joshua S Hill
Jun 18, 2024
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The global offshore wind industry installed a total of 10.8 gigawatts (GW) worth of new capacity in 2023, marking the second-highest year of installations, and setting the stage for what the Global Wind Energy Council predicts could be a record-breaking decade.
New figures published today by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) pinned total 2023 offshore wind capacity installations at 10.8GW, up 24% on the previous year and bringing the global offshore fleet of wind power to 75.2GW.
Moreover, GWEC analysts expect that this sort of growth rate will continue through the remainder of the decade, though only if the present increase in policy momentum continues.
“Installing almost 11 GW of offshore wind is the leading edge of a new wave of offshore wind growth,” said Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council.
“Policy progress – especially across the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas – has set us on course to regularly install record-breaking capacity annually and pass the 380 GW target set up by the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. That means offshore wind is on course to achieve the tripling ambition set at COP28 in Dubai.
“Offshore wind is now so much more than a European, Chinese or American story. In the last year GWEC has seen rapid progress in new markets where the key drivers for offshore wind are now in place – from government commitments to sustainable economic growth, to increased consumer demand and industrial decarbonisation.”
Over the next ten years, GWEC expects 410GW of new offshore wind capacity to be installed, the majority of which will be installed at the turn of the decade, with two-thirds installed between 2029 and 2033.
However, GWEC reiterates the need for this rapid expansion of deployment to be built on a growing collaboration between industry and government alongside the creation of streamlined and effective policy and regulatory frameworks.
Continued expansion of the global offshore wind energy industry will be driven in part by new arrivals on the scene, including countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, and Poland. In each of these countries, policy developments are being matched by what GWEC describes as “unprecedented focus across governments, industry, and civil society” to set up the conditions for long-term offshore wind development at scale.
In Australia earlier this year, the federal government granted the first set of feasibility licenses for six projects off the coast of Gippsland in Victoria, as well as its intention to grant a further six licenses to projects in the region.
If all 12 projects are built, 25GW worth of offshore wind would be brought online.
“Governments around the world are choosing offshore wind for their people and their economies,” said Rebecca Williams, chief strategy officer for offshore wind at GWEC.
We have reached the point in mature markets where the technology is now proven to have the ability to save households money versus conventional energy sources.
“This new wave of offshore wind markets are taking notice and making progress of their own, in some cases outgrowing the ‘emerging’ label thanks to strong collaboration between industry and policymakers. It is vital to continue that cooperation, particularly in this year of significant elections around the world, to ensure targets become turbines and more markets develop in the wake of this decade’s expansion.”
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From: Eric | 6/20/2024 11:50:55 AM | | | | Australia’s first floating wind farm edges closer with feasibility licence awarded to 2GW project
Sophie Vorrath
Jun 20, 2024
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Renewables
An up to 2GW offshore wind project proposed for the New South Wales Hunter region has been awarded a feasibility licence by the federal government, setting in motion the next stage of development for what would be Australia’s first floating offshore wind project.
Federal energy minister Chris Bowen said on Thursday that the Novocastrian Offshore Wind Farm, being developed by Norwegian energy giant Equinor and Oceanex Energy, was the only project being offered a licence in the Hunter zone, due to others being proposed for overlapping areas and found to be of “lower merit.”
Competition was always going to be tough for a spot in the comparatively small Pacific Ocean zone, which covers an 1,800km2 stretch between Swansea and Port Stephens, and will be the first in Australia to host floating turbines.
But there are plenty of prospective developers bound to be disappointed with the minister’s decision. Among them – Bowen says there were eight applications – might be BlueFloat Energy’s Eastern Rise Offshore Wind Project, proposed at an installed capacity of 1.725 gigawatts.
A consortium made up of Spark Renewables, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7 had also been vying for a spot in the Hunter zone, with its up to 2GW Sea Fern Floating Offshore Wind project, while French nuclear giant EDF had put forward the massive up to 10GW Newcastle Offshore Wind project.
The chosen project has strong local ties through Oceanex, which was established in Australia in 2020 by two of the founders of what will likely be the nation’s first operational offshore wind farm, the 2GW Star of the South in Victoria.
The company commissioned and in 2022 published an extensive Supply Chain mapping report for the offshore wind industry and Oceanex CEO and co-founder Andy Evans has said he hopes to have the $10 billion 130-turbine Novocastrian project under construction from 2030.
Evans says he and Oceanex co-founder Peter Sgardelis have been looking at New South Wales for a long time as an ideal candidate for offshore wind.
“It’s the biggest energy user, with the most black coal coming off the market, so we were always enthused by New South Wales – and particularly the Hunter,” Evans told Renew Economy on Thursday.
“It’s been a powerhouse, powering New South Wales and Australia for almost 100 years. Great deepwater port, great skill sets… great workforce used to big projects. So it was a really natural site for us to look at.”
Evans says the company will now look to work “even more tightly” with the Hunter community as the project progresses.
“We want to make people aware of all the great community benefits that will flow from offshore wind and that we’ll be providing.
“We know a lot of it’s around information provision, getting feedback, and hopefully developing a project the whole Hunter is really proud of,” he tells Renew Economy.
Bowen says that, should the Equinor and Oceanex project go ahead – there are many hurdles yet to jump before it is actually approved – it would employ around 3,000 workers during construction and create around 200-300 permanent local jobs.
The Novocastrian Offshore Wind Farm is also expected to inject development expenditure worth hundreds of millions of dollars into the Hunter region and leverage existing heavy industry, generating enough electricity to power two Tomago smelters.
“The Hunter has been an industrial and economic powerhouse for generations, and my decision today is a big step towards providing that powerhouse with reliable renewables,” Bowen said in a statement.
“The project I’ve shortlisted offers the biggest rewards for the Hunter and Australia – supporting our workforce and energy security, protecting our environment and sharing our marine space with the people and industries who rely on it today.”

The news of a seventh feasibility license awarded to an offshore wind project proposed for Australian waters – another six have been awarded to projects in Victoria’s Gippsland zone – comes just days after Bowen formally declared the nation’s fourth development zone, also off the NSW coast.
The Illawarra zone will be even smaller than the Hunter zone, at 1022 sq km – reduced by a third from its original plan and pushed 20km out to sea, rather than the initially proposed distance of 10km.
Bowen says the zone’s size reduction followed extensive community consultation with local leaders, industry, unions, First Nations people, community groups and individuals. The changes aim to better protect little penguins, rocky reefs and the southern right whale.
But the shrinking and shifting of the Illawarra zone could also be due to the fact that offshore wind has not been an easy sell to NSW coastal communities, amid concerns about potential environmental, commercial and visual impacts.
This sentiment has been eagerly fanned by the federal Coalition, which has promised to cap solar and wind projects, tear up offshore wind contracts and – as of this week – officially throw the Australian energy transition into chaos with a half-baked plan for nuclear power.
Just this week, the leader of the National Party David Littleproud turned up in Wollongong to personally campaign against the new Illawarra offshore wind zone and plump for the Coalition’s coal-preserving nuclear plan.
“The National Party, part of a future Coalition government, will not allow this to happen,” he said to cheers from a small crowd of anti-wind farm protesters, according to a report in the Illawarra Mercury.
Meanwhile, further north in Newcastle, local member Sharon Claydon says there is no region as well placed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the offshore wind industry.
?“Newcastle’s world class infrastructure, our deepwater port, skilled workforce, abundant resources and energy smarts means our region is poised to lead this transformation,” Claydon said.
“A new offshore wind industry in Newcastle means new jobs in local manufacturing, construction, maritime, transport and logistics industries, as well growing our vocational education and training pathways – at TAFE and University.”
And in April, one of the world’s biggest coal ports, the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales, put its hand up to become an offshore wind hub, to service the projects expected to populate the Hunter development zone.
The Port of Newcastle (PON), which is 50/50 owned by Macquarie’s The Infrastructure Fund and China Merchants Port Holdings Company, said on LinkedIn that a recent study had confirmed it as a “prime candidate” to support floating offshore wind (FOW) deployment.
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From: Eric | 6/22/2024 10:56:48 AM | | | | Wind turbine towers and blades could be built in Australia under new supply chain plan
Sophie Vorrath
Jun 21, 2024 2
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Western Australia has taken a step closer to establishing a local wind energy supply chain industry, including the potential to make turbine towers, foundations and blades, following a new deal between the state government and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).
Through the agreement, an $8 million industry support program will deliver financial and non-financial support to local businesses working towards the manufacture and service wind turbine components.
As part of the deal, the AMGC – an industry-led organisation focused on supporting innovation, commercialisation and collaboration – will establish a WA presence to work with local businesses, a government statement says.
“We want to provide funding and opportunity for these local businesses to supply parts to [wind] projects across our state, and across the nation, which will ultimately increase their competitiveness in local and global markets,” said Stephen Dawson, the minister assisting the minister for industry development.
“We have a growing number of onshore wind farms in WA which represents a significant opportunity for our local advanced manufacturing industry.
“We are quite literally blown away with the wider range of opportunities that this landmark agreement with the AMGC could bring to Western Australia, to strengthen our economy and create more jobs.”
Western Australia recently produced a report that forecast more than 50 gigawatts of new wind and solar capacity needs by 2040 to meet demands for clean energy, new zero carbon industries such as green hydrogen and green iron and steel, and the shift to electrification. A local industry will help sidestep international supply chain blockages.
The move follows the findings of an independent feasibility study by Aurecon, that confirmed a strong appetite and existing capability to pursue wind energy componentry manufacturing and servicing. The study also noted the need for government support to seize those opportunities.
In manufacturing, the report identified several opportunities for local businesses, with key areas including the manufacturing of wind turbine towers, foundations and blades.
The report also found that onshore construction and provision of operation and maintenance services remained viable areas of operation for WA business, albeit with the need for additional equipment and skills development moving forward.
Potential was also identified in the pursuit of opportunities to manufacture rotor/hubs, bedplates, nacelle covers (including spinner) and nacelle assembly, the report recommending local businesses take a collaborative approach to this segment, by contracting for or collaborating with existing manufacturers.
Further opportunities were found in the potential for WA businesses to recondition and repair gearboxes, pitch and yaw systems, generators and main bearings and shafts, and to build capabilities in the recovery and recycling of use turbine parts.
The WA government says that through this particular program, the focus will be on supporting businesses’ prequalification processes with wind turbine componentry for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the upgrade of plant and equipment, and provision of professional advice.
“The Cook Government is harnessing the power of wind to support our local manufacturing industry to enter new supply chains and boost WA’s transition to a renewable future,” said Dawson.
“In 2023, wind accounted for nearly 34 per cent of Australia’s renewable power generation and this is expected to increase significantly in coming years.”
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From: Eric | 6/25/2024 4:10:48 PM | | | |
924-Megawatt Sunrise Wind Project Receives Final Approval from U.S. Department of the Interior 15 hours ago
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Offshore Construction on New York’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm to Begin Later this Year
Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project, has received approval of its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is the final decision needed from the federal agency to move the project toward the start of offshore construction.
At 924 megawatts, Sunrise Wind will generate enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York homes.
Sunrise Wind will help New York achieve its mandate of 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030, while accelerating the state’s growing offshore wind workforce and supply chain. Sunrise Wind will create 800 direct New York jobs, thousands of indirect jobs, and economic benefits from the Capital Region to Long Island – including a $700 million investment in Suffolk County alone.
“With the final approval of Sunrise Wind and the recent completion of South Fork Wind, it is clear that New York is leading the nation in building the offshore wind industry,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “We’re grateful for the Biden Administration’s commitment to advancing clean energy projects, and New York will continue to build a green economy, create good-paying jobs, and combat the climate crisis.”
“I am very glad to see Sunrise Wind breeze past another critical milestone,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Sunrise Wind is built by the men and women in union labor and will change the energy landscape in New York for the cleaner and better. New York’s energy needs are vast, and I will continue working with New York, the Biden administration, Governor Hochul, Long Island officials and all stakeholders to move offshore wind and other renewable energy projects forward.”
“This approval is critical to New York becoming the leader in U.S. offshore wind,” said U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko. “Sunrise Wind will play an important role in achieving our state’s clean energy requirements and building upon our region’s leadership in this emerging industry. I’m grateful to Ørsted and Eversource for their partnership and investment in our region, and I look forward to seeing the impact of this project on our state, our economy, and our environment.”
“I am pleased to see Sunrise Wind continuing to move forward,” said U.S. Congressman Andrew Garbarino. “This project, which is expected to power nearly 600,000 homes with domestically produced wind-powered energy, will bring jobs, access to clean and affordable energy, and economic growth to Long Island.”
“NYSERDA congratulates Ørsted and Eversource on this critical milestone for their Sunrise Wind project,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “It is an exciting time for the U.S. offshore wind industry and New York State as pivotal projects like this continue to move forward and help us progress toward a zero-emission electric grid and delivering clean offshore wind power to New Yorkers.”
The Sunrise Wind team will now accelerate work on the onshore transmission system, with offshore construction ramping up later this year at the project site approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, N.Y. The project is expected to be in operation in 2026.
“Sunrise Wind is a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy vision, and with this final federal approval we can officially put the construction phase in-motion,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “BOEM’s approval is an important milestone not just for New York but also for America’s domestic energy sector. We’re grateful for the continued leadership of BOEM Director Klein and all the federal, state, and local leaders who are committed to offshore wind. Sunrise Wind builds on our success of South Fork Wind and will deliver more jobs, economic development, and clean energy to New York.”
“Sunrise Wind is a historic investment in New York’s economic and environmental future, and today’s decision by BOEM represents a key step in bringing this project to fruition,” said Joe Nolan, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy. “This project will deliver offshore wind energy at-scale, and hundreds of New Yorkers are already hard at work building the onshore transmission system that will bring this power to our homes and businesses. Sunrise Wind is a groundbreaking project, creating good union jobs across New York and supporting hundreds of millions in local infrastructure investments, and we are excited to move forward.”
“I am pleased that the Bureau of Ocean Management has given its approval to Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operation Plan,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “This is the final approval needed for Sunrise Wind to move forward and supply Long Island with non-polluting, carbon free power.”
“As Sunrise Wind moves forward, I am proud that Brookhaven continues to be a leader in this important project,” said Dan Panico, Supervisor for the Town of Brookhaven. “From hundreds of local jobs building the onshore transmission system to a new, state-of-the-art Operations and Maintenance Hub in East Setauket, Sunrise Wind is bringing an influx of economic activity to our community, and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”
“Port Jefferson is uniquely positioned to support the growth of New York’s offshore wind industry, and we’re pleased that Ørsted is locating an important wind operations hub here in our community,” said Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “Today’s federal approval helps ensure that Sunrise Wind will continue to have positive economic impacts in our community, and across New York, for decades to come.”
The COP approval outlines the project’s one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species. BOEM’s final approval of the COP follows the agency’s March 2024 issuance of its Record of Decision, which concluded the thorough BOEM-led environmental review of the project. Ørsted and Eversource reached these provisions and protections working closely with a range of external organizations and experts, a commitment the companies carry to all stakeholder relationships to help ensure coexistence.
“Today is a great day for New York and its effort to tackle the climate crisis because we need to transition off of fossil fuels and start delivering on clean energy like offshore wind,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource on receiving BOEM’s final approval for Sunrise Wind, which will allow the state to begin realizing the benefits of this shovel-ready project, starting with hundreds of well-paying construction jobs on its way to delivering 924 MW of renewable offshore wind energy, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for New Yorkers.”
“Climate change is here. The start of summer has kicked off with an extreme heat event. How do we fight climate change and its impacts? We know the answer – change the way we produce energy. New York is doing that,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for Environment. “We are excited that Sunrise Wind has reached the final hurdle and can break ground for this critical infrastructure. Sunrise Wind will be the largest offshore wind farm in America! Its clean renewable wind energy will power over 500,000 homes on Long Island. A true celebration for moving us forward in a clean energy revolution. Congrats to the leadership of Ørsted and Eversource and to New York for their diligent commitment to renewable energy.”
“Offshore wind is a crucial part of New York’s clean energy future, and we applaud Ørsted and Eversource for their leadership and congratulate them on this important milestone,” said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. “We look forward to celebrating many more.”
“All New Yorkers should celebrate this momentous occasion. Sunrise Wind is a huge step closer to providing the state with clean, renewable power, and will be a model for many projects to come,” said Alicia Gené Artessa, director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversouce on the success of their hard work and thank BOEM for issuing this important approval.”
“America’s clean energy transition is union built, and it’s being built on Long Island,” said John R. Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Hundreds of local trade union men and women will have good-paying jobs building Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore. Moving this project forward will help power our grid, as well as our regional economy. We expect the union movement to maintain and operate Sunrise Wind, thus we are excited the Biden administration continues to live up to their commitment to the working men and women of Long Island.”
“As New York’s offshore wind industry continues to grow, the demand for skilled tradeswomen and tradesmen is growing alongside it. We showed the world that we are ready and willing to push forward offshore wind with South Fork Wind, and with today’s approval, we’re ready to advance towards a greener future here on Long Island with Sunrise Wind,” said Matthew Aracich, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. “Building the next generation of American energy infrastructure is a monumental undertaking, and there’s no one more prepared to take it on than the members of the Building Trades.”
“New York has always been at the center of America’s economy, and projects like Sunrise Wind are ensuring we stay that way,” said Kevin S. Law, Chair of the Empire State Development Board. “Sunrise Wind is transforming our energy system, moving us toward energy independence, and helping us combat climate change – but it’s so much more than that. It’s about hundreds of New Yorkers finding good-paying, purposeful jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in our businesses and communities. Offshore wind is a growing American industry, and Sunrise Wind is keeping New York in the driver’s seat.”
“We are delighted that BOEM has approved Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operations plan,” said Robert B. Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University and Chair and President of the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. “This final approval from the lead federal permitting agency on the project allows this important project to go forward to provide a source of clean renewable energy to help N.Y. State meet its environmental goals. We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource for their perseverance and leadership in making this project a reality.”
As part of Sunrise Wind, Ørsted and Eversource are already making significant investments in the state’s offshore wind workforce and supply chain, including: Sunrise Wind recently finalized its agreements with NYSERDA on the project’s 25-year Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (OREC) contract.
News release from Sunrise Wind.
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