The Federal Government has officially declared an offshore wind zone in the Pacific Ocean off the Illawarra region in New South Wales.
This strategic decision aims to secure regional jobs, enhance energy security, and power Australia’s largest steelworks with renewable energy.
The Illawarra offshore wind zone will be situated 20km from the coast. It will be the fourth officially declared zone in the country and will unlock renewable energy jobs, energy security and job security, while supporting onshore manufacturing powered by reliable renewables.
The zone has been amended to exclude ecologically sensitive areas, such as the Biologically Important Area for the Little Penguin, the Shelf Rocky Reef Key Ecological Feature, and the Southern Right Whale migration and reproduction area.
The final area for the zone covers 1022 square kilometres, representing a reduction of one-third from the originally proposed zone.
The project is expected to create approximately 1740 new jobs during construction and sustain 870 ongoing jobs. These roles will span various fields, including engineering, technical expertise, operations, rigging, seafaring, dockwork, project management, and administration.
According to the government, the Illawarra offshore wind zone has the potential to generate an estimated 2.9 gigawatts (GW) of electricity—enough to power 1.8 million homes.
Beyond residential energy needs, the zone will supply cleaner and more affordable energy to existing heavy industries in the Illawarra.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said Illawarra has been an engine room of the Australian economy for generations, and now it’s ready to power Australia’s clean energy future.
“Declaring this offshore wind zone brings the Illawarra a step closer to becoming a major provider of the building blocks of the net zero transformation – green power, green hydrogen and green steel – along with thousands of new jobs,” Bowen said.
Federal Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said regions such as the Illawarra have an important role to play in Australia’s energy transformation.
“The declaration of this offshore wind zone represents our government’s commitment to supporting local jobs and delivering cheaper and more reliable energy for Illawarra businesses and households,” he said.
Feasibility licence applications for offshore wind projects in the Illawarra zone is open from Monday 17 June and will close on 15 August 2024.
For more renewable and solar news, subscribe to ecogeneration.