Victoria has formally advanced its offshore wind ambitions, with the Allan Government confirming the state’s first offshore wind auction will proceed later this year.
The process will seek proposals for 2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity, creating a pathway to construction and long-term operation and supporting thousands of jobs across Victoria’s growing clean energy supply chain.
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) welcomed the announcement, describing it as a foundational step in building a new clean energy industry for the state.
Jackie Trad, Chief Executive at CEC, shared that the auction would accelerate project development and help underpin Victoria’s future electricity mix as ageing coal-fired generation retires.
“The auction is a critical step towards delivering the offshore wind industry in Victoria and moving projects into the delivery phase,” Trad said.
“Offshore wind will play an important role in supporting system security and reliability as coal-fired power exits the grid.”
Offshore wind offers stronger and more consistent wind resources than onshore generation, enabling large-scale projects to deliver power more predictably across the day and throughout the year. This generation profile is expected to support reliability during the transition to a renewables-dominated power system.
Beyond electricity supply, offshore wind is projected to be a major employment driver. Victoria’s energy workforce is forecast to exceed 67,000 workers by 2040, more than double its current size. Offshore wind alone is expected to support a peak construction workforce of around 2370 jobs, alongside more than 4200 roles in onshore wind, with additional flow-on benefits across manufacturing, ports, logistics and ongoing operations.
Regional supply chains, particularly in Gippsland, are expected to benefit strongly as projects progress from planning to construction.
Victoria’s announcement follows recent offshore wind developments in Western Australia, underscoring growing national momentum for the sector.
Trad highlighted that industry have remained focused on working closely with governments and communities to ensure projects are delivered responsibly.
“We look forward to working constructively with governments to ensure offshore wind projects are developed with strong community engagement, environmental protections and lasting benefits for local workers and businesses,” Trad said.
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