WINDS of CHANGEHundreds of jobs, power in $1.75bn offshore project

A $1.75BN offshore wind farmis planned for the South-East– the first in South Australia –with proponents spruiking itspotential to create hundredsof jobs and provide power to400,000 homes.

SA Offshore WindfarmPty Ltd, a subsidiary of British-based Australis Energy, isplanning the project, with upto 75 turbines, about 10km offthe coast of Kingston SE.

There are no offshorewind farms operating in Aus-tralia but 11 others are in theplanning stages.

Australis Energy says the600 megawatt wind farmwould require 40-75 turbinesmeasuring up to 260m high,and the number to be builtwould depend on the type oftechnology used.

Visible from the coast,they would use submergedcables and offshore and on-

MICHELLE ETHERIDGE shore substations to feedelectricity into the state’spower grid within the Na-tional Electricity Market.

If approved, the companysays up to 800 jobs would becreated during constructionand 100 people would findlong-term work.

The company has lodged adevelopment applicationwith the State Planning Com-mission, and the federal Envi-ronment Department isconsidering whether to deemthe project a “controlled ac-tion” likely to have significantenvironmental impact.

This would require assess-ment under the EnvironmentProtection and BiodiversityConservation Act.

Australis Energy is alsoplanning two other offshorewind farms – in Victoria andWestern Australia.

It says detailed design andprocurement would happen

in 2023, and constructionbegin as early as 2024-25 andcommissioning by 2027.

Kingston Mayor KayRasheed said if the projecteventuated, its employmentgeneration would be “absol-utely fantastic”.

“I think it could be quite atourist attraction,” she said.

Council chief executiveNat Traeger said apart fromits economic boost, she hopedthe project would help cater

for boat-launching upgrades.A boat ramp in Kingston SEhas been closed for two yearsbecause it has a $7.6m repairbill – but the council earnsonly $3.9m in a year in raterevenue.

Australis Energy chair-man Mark Petterson said theproject would support thestate government’s target of

reaching net-100 per centrenewables by 2030.

Andrew Bray, nationaldirector of RE-Alliance – anorganisation supporting thecountry’s transition torenewables – said that of thecountry’s 12 potential off-shore wind farms, the Star ofthe South, near Victoria’sGippsland, was the most pro-gressed through planningstages.

“You would expect thatsome of them are going tomake it and some won’t,” hesaid.

Mr Bray said the techno-logy was common in Europe,accessing high wind speedsand harnessing energy whenspeeds were low on land.

A “scoping report” on theproject said the wind turbinegenerators would be support-ed by monopiles – cylindricaltubes up to 10m in diameter,driven into the seabed.

Most of the site is in waterof 40m to 84m deep.

WINDS of CHANGEBy MICHELLE ETHERIDGE

The AdvertiserWednesday 8th September 2021502 wordsPage 5 | Section: NEWS546cm on the page

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An offshore wind farm is planned for 10km off Kingston SE, which could be similar in scope to this one on the North Sea. Pictures: AFP

Content within this media item are licensed by Copyright Agency. You must not copy thiswork without permission. You may only copy or communicate this email and the work(s)within with an appropriate license. Copyright Streem Pty Ltd, 2021.