July 26, 2022 • 2 min read
Developing Australia's offshore wind industry
We’ve been awarded a framework agreement by Flotation Energy for the development of an offshore wind farm in Victoria, Australia.
We’re providing pre-feasibility study services to Flotation Energy’s Seadragon project, a 1,500 MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Gippsland.
The project sets out to be one of Australia’s first offshore wind sites. It will produce enough clean energy to power some one million homes and businesses across Victoria.
Backed by funding from the Victoria State Government, the project has the potential to create over 1,600 jobs, providing a significant investment boost for the local economy and workforce.
“Australia has a long-established history in conventional energy. The Seadragon project will act as an energy transition bridge between the oil and gas and wind industries, bringing opportunities to retrain and upskill local workforces into renewables-focused roles,” said Christopher Cowland, Vice President Global Offshore Wind.
Building a sustainable offshore wind industry
The proposed project site is located near older oil and gas platforms in the Bass Strait. This offers the potential for repurposing assets no longer needed for oil and gas production to house offshore infrastructure. It will also consider synergies for the construction, operations, and maintenance phases of the offshore wind farm.
Our study will propose the concept design of the overall project and provide recommendations for efficient execution. We’ll explore the best practices for building a sustainable industry and analyze the local supply chain, ports, and harbor infrastructure.
Study development will be led from our Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane offices. We’ll also draw upon expertise from our offshore wind center of excellence in Europe.
“Flotation Energy is an early entrant into the emerging Australian offshore wind market, and we’re delighted to be working with Worley to support engineering studies for the next stage of the 1,500 MW Seadragon offshore wind farm. Worley combines its extensive in-house expertise across all aspects of offshore wind with local knowledge of Gippsland and Bass Strait, which will be critical to successfully delivering the project," said Tim Sawyer, Director at Flotation Energy Plc.
“Our work with Flotation Energy on this project is a crucial milestone in Australia’s energy transition journey. It’s aligned with our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world and is integral in paving the path for the offshore wind industry ahead,” says Cowland.
The initial study is projected to take 12 weeks, with first power expected in 2030.
