CHATTING to proponents of offshore wind energy sites offers an insight into the extensive work and lengthy time period involved in striving to bring projects to fruition.
Southerly Ten was one of the proponents represented at Thursday’s combined offshore energy session in Leongatha, being in charge of the Star of the South Project.
The Sentinel-Times was keen to hear how that project is progressing, and learn about another newer wind energy project Southerly Ten has in the works.
Chief development officer for Southerly Ten, Erin Coldham, said research efforts have backed the organisation’s initial motivation for pursuing offshore wind energy opportunities in Bass Strait.
The closing of Hazelwood and the associated reduction in coal-fired power generation combined with the fact offshore wind energy was taking off globally sparked the idea of establishing the Star of the South.
“We could see that there were really strong offshore winds in Bass Strait off Gippsland, relatively shallow water depths and close proximity to plug into the grid in Latrobe Valley and lots of workers who’d worked in offshore oil and gas,” Erin said.
“We investigated the wind conditions and seabed and ticked off that our theory was correct and this was a good place for offshore wind, so now we’re using a lot of the data we’ve collected over the years.”
That data is broad-ranging, including scientific information as well as public feedback obtained through consultation that has revealed what Gippslanders want to see from offshore wind energy projects.
Erin explained Southerly Ten is now crunching all the data and will be taking steps over the next year or so to obtain necessary approvals from the Victorian Government.
“We’re working to try to get to construction by the end of the decade,” she said, adding that is important in helping ensure the region continues to generate power.
Southerly Ten’s other project, Kut-Wut Brataualung is in the early stages, having received a licence last year that will allow for investigations into its viability, in contrast to Star of the South which is Australia’s most advanced offshore wind energy project.
