Spinifex Offshore Wind Farm lodges feasibility licence application

The Spinifex Offshore Wind Farm project has lodged an application for a feasibility licence with the Offshore Infrastructure Registrar – a crucial step for the proposed 1GW+ wind farm.

Article by Julian Polachek | 18 Jul 2024

The Spinifex Offshore Wind Farm project has lodged an application for a feasibility licence with the Offshore Infrastructure Registrar – a crucial step for the proposed 1GW+ wind farm.

A feasibility license would grant the project, located in the Southern Ocean zone, off Victoria’s south-west coast, the opportunity to explore the viability or practicality of the proposed project within a designated area. 

It is a requirement that allows projects to conduct further research, tests and consultation. It does not provide an approval for, or endorsement of, the design of the projects or other matters to be handled under planning and environmental approvals.

Spinifex Project Manager Linden Blair on a boat
Spinifex Project Manager Linden Blair.

Spinifex Project Development Manager Linden Blair and Project Director Peter Caluwaerts said that reaching this key milestone had been a big team effort over many years.

“It’s taken almost four years of early development work to get to this stage. We’ve submitted an extensive application in what’s a key milestone for the Spinifex project,” Mr Blair said.

“Our early work has included several initial environmental and technical studies as well as early engagement with key stakeholders and the community,” Mr Caluwaerts said.

Alinta Energy and Parkwind, part of JERA Nex, JERA’s renewable energy subsidiary, joined forces in April this year to develop the project in the Southern Ocean Region Declared Area in Southwest Victoria. 

“We’re hoping that licences will be awarded as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to undertake pre-licence award work such as environmental surveys for marine life, wind monitoring, and stakeholder engagement where appropriate,” said François Van Leeuw, co-CEO of Parkwind.  

“We’ll continue to provide updates on the project and if we are awarded a licence, we will begin our detailed studies and consultation process. There will be many more opportunities for community input to come.

"The Victorian and Commonwealth governments have set ambitious renewable energy targets and we’re confident that a completed Spinifex project will play a critical role in enabling this transition.”

Read more about the Spinifex Offshore Wind Farm project here — spinifexoffshore.com.au.

A map showing the Spinifex project area within the boundaries of the government's Southern Ocean Region Declared Area off the coast of Port Fairy.

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