Out-Law News 1 min. read
15 Apr 2021, 5:47 am
A 300 megawatts (MW) offshore wind farm proposal has been submitted to Western Australia (WA) Environmental Protection Authority for environmental approval.
The project is expected to cost AU$1 billion ($774 million) and will be located 5.5 kilometres off the west coast of Australia between Preston Beach and Binningup, 20km north of Bunbury.
Between 20 and 37 turbines will be installed as part of the project, with individual capacities ranging from 8MW to 15MW. The electricity generated will be fed into the WA grid within the South West interconnected system.
If approved, the construction work will start in 2025 with the new wind farm expected to be operational by 2026. It will produce enough energy to power over 200,000 local homes.
WA Offshore Windfarm, a wholly owned subsidiary of UK-based Australis Energy, has submitted the plan and will deliver the project.
Energy expert George Varma of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “This is an exciting development for Western Australia as the offshore wind market is starting to gain momentum in this part of the world. This project will assist Western Australia’s as well as Australia’s transition to a clean energy future and a reduction in carbon emissions.”
“There is a vast amount of potential for these types of projects in Western Australia, which could expedite plans for renewable energy exports with our neighbours in Indonesia. The domestic, as well as the international, benefits of large scale renewable energy projects are a clear path forward for sustainable growth and offshore wind projects will play an important role in this transition,” he said.
