The Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) has approved Iberdrola Australia’s feasibility stage Management Plan for the Aurora Green Offshore Wind Project, located off Gippsland in Victoria.
The approval marks a significant step in the development of the 3GW project, located 25+ kilometres off the Ninety Mile Beach coast.
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The Management Plan details how Iberdrola Australia will safely carry out activities for metocean studies in relation to its feasibility licence area to collect information on wind, waves, currents, water levels, meteorological and oceanographic data, which will in turn support planning and design of the offshore wind farm.
The studies will involve a Floating Light, Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) buoy to determine wind speed, direction and other atmospheric variables like temperature and pressure; and a wave buoy and seabed frame to measure waves, tides, water levels, currents and seawater temperature.
Iberdrola Australia chair and CEO Ross Rolfe AO said the company was grateful for the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator’s support throughout the approval process.
“The OIR has been constructive and collaborative in helping us work through the details of our plan, ensuring that we can move forward with the confidence that our activities are safe, responsible, and aligned with the expectations of the regulatory framework.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with government, industry, Traditional Owners and our local communities in Gippsland, as we develop the Aurora Green project.”
Iberdrola Australia has a feasibility licence to carry out studies to assess the Aurora Green Offshore Wind Project site for development from a technical perspective. Geophysical investigations were undertaken earlier this year to gather information about the composition and features of the seabed.
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Marine mammal observations are currently underway, bird surveys are expected to commence this winter, with fish and seabed habitat surveys to begin at a later date.
The Aurora Green Offshore Wind Project involves the installation of up to 150 wind turbines and associated infrastructure, capable of generating up to 3GW of clean energy—enough to power up to 2.25 million homes. If all approvals are obtained, the first phase is expected to be operational from around 2032.
