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Hunter touted as possible ‘home’ for offshore wind farms

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The Hunter is being touted as a possible “home” for an offshore wind energy project, according to the Minister for Climate Change.

Chris Bowen revealed this week the Australian Government was moving ahead with its plans to shore up the country’s renewable future by unveiling six proposed regions.

Labor’s Climate Change Bill passed through the lower house on Thursday, 89 to 55 votes, to preserve the party’s 43% 2030 emissions reduction target, along with the 2050 net zero goal.

The government will now begin a 60-day consultation process to develop wind farms off the coast of Gippsland.

Over the course of the next 18 months, they’ll also start talks for five additional projects, including the Pacific Ocean off the Hunter and Illawarra; Southern Ocean off Portland in Victoria; Bass Strait off Northern Tasmania; and Indian Ocean off Perth/Bunbury in Western Australia.

Mr Bowen estimated the offshore wind industry would create 3,000 to 8,000 jobs annually.

And, the announcement was warmly received by Hunter Workers, with Leigh Shears claiming it would inject millions of dollars into the local economy.

“The establishment of the offshore wind industry is well-needed for the future prosperity of the region,” the secretary said.

“We welcome prospects for this investment and the opportunities it will generate for Hunter workers.

“We hope to work closely with the Labor government to ensure locals are appropriately consulted and prioritised.”

Senior energy market analyst, director of Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley also backed the move.

“Offshore wind is a key decarbonisation solution for the world, installations globally are expected to increase tenfold in the next few years,” he said.

“While its importance in Australia is far more nuanced because Australia is blessed with great onshore wind and solar resources, which are cheaper to develop.

“We need to weigh up the additional costs related to offshore wind construction and see where it makes the most economic sense.

“The Minister for Climate Change Chris Bowen is right to open offshore wind for public consultation.

“Its development is going to need a high degree of policy support and forward planning because of the complex supply chains that would have to be developed in Australia and higher costs of construction.

“We have to value the balancing or baseload nature of the generation, to support the, sometimes, intermittent nature of onshore wind and solar.”

Mr Buckley admitted it was “really important” that developing offshore wind remained a combined federal and state initiative.

“No one can justify the supply chain investment alone,” he said.

“When we talk about offshore wind in Australia, it makes great sense to use the established electricity grid infrastructure of power-producing regions like Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, and the Hunter and Illawarra regions, and provide an alternative, high-value employment opportunities for the skilled labour there.

“This will help to balance and reduce the higher cost of offshore wind development when considered on balance.” 

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