Melbourne, 13 July 2023 – BlueFloat Energy, the developer of Eastern Rise Offshore Wind Project, has welcomed the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen’s, announcement declaring the Pacific Ocean off the Hunter region as Australia’s second offshore wind zone.
The final declared area has a smaller footprint than originally proposed. The declaration followed two months of public consultation with the local community, industry and sea users.
The Eastern Rise Offshore Wind Project is located within the declared zone, between Newcastle and Nelson Bay off the Hunter-Port Stephens coast in NSW. With up to 115 floating wind turbines and three offshore substations, the project will sit approximately 25-45 km off the coast. It is set to generate enough electricity to power 825,000 homes, the equivalent of almost a quarter of all households in NSW. The project will create hundreds of ongoing jobs whilst attracting international investment and growth for the region.
BlueFloat Energy intends to apply for a Feasibility Licence, which will enable further work, including detailed environmental and technical studies, to be undertaken to validate the suitability of the location and inform project design and the environmental impact assessment process.
Nick Sankey, BlueFloat Energy’s Australian Country Manager, said:
“We’re excited about the announcement of Australia’s second offshore wind zone and applaud the government’s feedback-oriented approach. We want to create lasting benefits for the Hunter region through the delivery of our project. Our recent public drop in sessions represent the start of our consultation and there will be plenty of opportunities for feedback during the design and approvals phase.»
“This is a fantastic step towards Australia’s clean energy future, and we look forward to having the opportunity to submit a Feasibility License application and start working to create jobs and provide clean energy for the Hunter region.”
Deb Neumann, Head of Environment and Planning, said:
“Consultation remains at the heart of our priorities. At the public drop-in sessions in the region, we heard that whilst the transition to renewable energy is supported, the community wants a focus on studying the potential impact of the project on the marine environment, particularly whales and migratory birds. These studies and related analyses will be undertaken during the environmental assessment phase, and there will be opportunity for feedback.”
To find out more and to sign up for regular updates, visit the project website: https://www.easternriseowp.com.au/
Notes to editors
BlueFloat Energy has made two referrals under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – one for the main Project and one for initial marine investigations. The community is invited by the DCCEEW to provide feedback on these referrals as part of the online public consultation period .
About BlueFloat Energy
BlueFloat Energy is developing offshore wind projects in various regions of the world, where it can implement its vision: to accelerate global deployment of offshore wind as a key enabler for the energy transition and economic growth. Founded by renewable energy professionals, BlueFloat Energy brings together remarkable team expertise in the design, development, financing, construction and execution of offshore wind projects. BlueFloat Energy is a market leader in offshore wind projects and currently has over 32.4 GW of planned capacity under development globally.
For more visit www.bluefloat.com
