The Victoria state government has committed AUD 124.5m ($90.1m) in its /27 budget to advance the proposed Renewable Energy Terminal at the Port of Hastings.
This funding will progress the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process for the first heavy-duty offshore wind port of its kind in Australia.
The terminal is designed to enable onshore turbine assembly before components are shipped offshore for installation, supporting Victoria’s broader offshore wind ambitions. The project is undergoing a full EES process, including community consultation, and construction can proceed only after planning approvals and environmental assessments are complete.
According to the government, harnessing offshore wind resources off Gippsland could further drive prices down as older coal-fired power stations retire, while ensuring Gippsland remains the state’s main energy production hub for decades.
An auction for the first 2GW of offshore wind capacity in Victoria will open in August, enough to power around 1.5m homes. At peak activity, the offshore wind sector is expected to create more than 2,370 jobs and generate billions of dollars in investment.
“We are investing in the technical and environmental assessments at the Port of Hastings to ensure that we are protecting the Ramsar-listed wetlands and have ensured that we are on the best footing to successfully meet the Environmental Effects Statement criteria,” said Melissa Horne, Victoria’s minister for ports and freight.
