RWE has been granted a feasibility licence from the Australian government for the development of an offshore wind farm near the Kent Group islands in the Bass Strait, off the Gippsland coast in Victoria. This area is Australia’s first designated offshore wind zone.
This licence grants RWE an exclusive 7-year seabed right to develop the Kent Offshore Wind Farm project. The approval also allows RWE to apply for a commercial licence to build and operate the wind farm for up to 40 years.
The lease area awarded to RWE has the potential to host a wind farm with up to 2 GW of capacity. The site is about 67 kilometres off the coast and has average water depths of 59 metres. The wind farm is expected to become operational in the first half of the 2030s, subject to the timing of the planning and approvals process, secured offtake, and grid connection.
The next step for RWE is to carry out studies to help determine the project design and to submit applications for planning permission. RWE will also engage with key stakeholders, First Nations groups, and other communities. Another step in the project’s development at a later stage is to secure an offtake agreement.
