RPS welcomes first Indian Ocean offshore wind area proposed in WA

Australia seeks to accelerate its plans for offshore wind energy development

The Australian government has unveiled plans for a future offshore wind area in the Indian Ocean, roughly 20 kilometres off the coast of the Bunbury region in Western Australia.

RPS Technical Director and Offshore Wind WA Lead, Tamara Al-Hashimi says, this is great news for Western Australia. 

“It’s a win for the Bunbury region and for enabling offshore wind to help WA meet emerging emissions reduction, renewable energy targets, and future energy demand.”  

The earmarked area spans 7,674 kilometres and will lie between Cape Naturaliste and Dawesville. 

Tamara says the Bunbury region is well suited to offshore wind. 

“Western Australia has strong offshore wind resources, particularly off the Perth to Bunbury coast, which together with Bunbury’s existing port facilities, high electricity demand in the region and grid connections, makes the Bunbury region well suited to offshore wind development.” 

The offshore wind plan has the potential to generate 20 GW of power and up to 12,000 construction jobs, with 6,000 of those jobs likely to be ongoing roles that support the local economy.  

Tamara says, “This is an important step towards achieving Australia’s net zero goals by 2050.” 

“A local offshore wind industry has the potential to provide a new competitive source of renewable energy, particularly with the shutdown of both the Collie and Muja coal-fired power plants. It’s also a win for the local community as it will inject money into the local economy.”

Western Australia is the sixth region across the country that has now been identified as a priority area for offshore wind development. 

This follows the Victoria’s Gippsland region, New South Wales Hunter and Illawarra regions, the Southern Ocean Region off the coast of South Australia and Victoria, and the Bass Strait region off Northern Tasmania. 

The government is seeking feedback through a public consultation process which commenced on 20 February and is due to close on 3 May 2024.