Victoria launches Australia’s first offshore wind auction
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
Energy Global,
The Victorian Government has opened Australia’s first offshore wind auction for projects off the Gippsland coast to bid for contracts to deliver Victoria’s first 2 GW of offshore wind energy generation – enough to power 1.5 million homes.
The auction timeline includes a 12-month request for proposal (RFP) phase from August 2026 to August 2027. After auction close, an extensive evaluation of these bids will occur to select successful projects, with contracts for the first 2 GW expected to be awarded in 2028.
Local businesses, communities, and Traditional Owners can expect offshore wind developers to enter a new phase of direct and specific engagement as they develop and finalise their bid commitments.
The first projects will help lay the foundations for the growth of the sector throughout the 2030s – a sector that is expected to create thousands of jobs, attract billions of dollars in investment, and strengthen Victoria's long-term energy security.
In Gippsland, feasibility licence holders are conducting studies in their designated areas to assess environmental and seabed conditions for their proposed projects.
In the Southern Ocean region, Alinta Energy was awarded a feasibility licence in February 2025 for its Spinifex project.
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/26082026/victoria-launches-australias-first-offshore-wind-auction/