Australia's first offshore wind farm

Source: CleanTechnica

Onshore wind farms have been the norm until recently.  The engineering and construction obstacles of offshore turbines are significant.  Maintenance is more expensive than it is for onshore turbines.  Connections to the grid are harder and more expensive.  On the other hand, the wind is stronger and (even better) more consistent over water than it tends to be over land.  And as we move down the learning curve, costs have fallen rapidly.

Australia's first offshore wind farm is planned for the relatively shallow waters off the coast of southern Victoria.  Those who know this area will know that the wind there seems to be always blowing, and often the breeze is brisk--a perfect place for a wind farm. 

Offshore Energy's "proposed exploration area" for the project lies off the Gippsland coast to the south-east of places such as Clonmel Island and Port Albert.

"When placed in the right wind conditions like those off the coast of Gippsland, offshore wind delivers a high, consistent flow of electricity," Offshore Energy managing director Andy Evans said.

[Read more here]

The project will provide 18% of Victoria's electricity, or about 5% of total NEM demand.  By comparison, the giant Hazelwood brown coal (lignite) power station which closed in March provided about 25% of Victoria's electricity.  Hazelwood was the OECD's most polluting power station, so the switch from that to a wind farm is a big step for Victoria on its road to its 40%  renewable energy target by 2025.  The target has been described as "ambitious", but it isn't really, if this project goes ahead.  The wind farm will be usefully complementary to rooftop and large-scale solar, which are also expanding exponentially in Victoria.  Most demand is during the day, and solar will help cover that.  At night, wind will help provide for our needs, though some storage will be necessary.