BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate announce offshore wind project

Southern Winds is a 1.155 GW project that will use bottom-fixed technology and will be located 10 - 30 km off the coasts of South Australia and Victoria. The site falls within the Portland West Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) announced by the Victorian government. The site was chosen carefully for a number of reasons, including:

• Skilled local workforce combined with social and political support for the industry.
• Access to a deep-water port and infrastructure in the proximity of the project.
• Local demand for energy.
• Offshore wind will complement existing and proposed onshore wind farms.
• Access to Victoria’s 500 kV network and potential to expand transmission network into South Australia.
• Enabling a clean industrial ecosystem to maximise economic benefits from region’s natural resources.

“Australia’s change in government in May this year has shifted the narrative on climate change and the role of renewables in decarbonising the country’s economy. The new Prime Minister has promised to turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower, and is viewed as being outward-looking and ambitious about Australia’s net zero emissions target. We are excited about the role of offshore wind in this journey,” says Nick Sankey, Country Manager for BlueFloat Energy.

Simon Currie, Co-founder and Chief Projects Officer at Energy Estate, commented: “Southern Winds is an exciting addition to our portfolio of offshore wind projects in Australia. This region has world class wind resources and a history of successful industrial and renewable energy developments. Our vision includes enabling globally competitive clean forest products and a sustainable fuels hub which stretches from Mt Gambier to Portland.”

Carlos Martin, CEO of BlueFloat Energy, said: “This is the fourth project in Australia and brings us to a total capacity of over 5 GW. Together, BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate are committed to the accelerated development of the Australian offshore wind industry. We strongly believe that close collaboration with government, offtakers, transmission companies, the supply chain, and other developers will be critical to the industry’s success.”

The announcement of Southern Winds comes shortly after recent announcements by BlueFloat Energgy of a 5 GW portfolio in Columbia, 1 GW in Taiwan, and a 50 MW project in the Port of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate are continuing to advance the development of further sites in Australia and New Zealand. The partnership is also committed to supporting the growth of local manufacturing and supply chains, and is working alongside local and global partners to achieve this goal.

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