• RWE awarded exclusive seabed rights for an offshore development project in the Bass Strait, off Gippsland in Victoria
• Commissioning expected in the 2030s; green electricity for 1.6 million Australian homes
• Entry into the offshore wind market; RWE now active in solar, battery storage as well as onshore and offshore wind in Australia

RWE has been granted a feasibility licence from the Australian Government for the development of an offshore wind farm close to the Kent Group islands in the Bass Strait, off Victoria’s Gippsland coast. This area is Australia’s first designated offshore wind zone.

This licence approval grants RWE, a key global player in renewable energy, an exclusive 7-year seabed right to develop the Kent Offshore Wind Farm project. The approval also allows RWE to apply for a commercial licence to build and operate the wind farm for up to 40 years.

The lease area awarded to RWE has the potential to host a wind farm with up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, enough to power up to 1.6 million Australian homes with green electricity. The site is about 67 kilometres off the coast and has average water depths of 59 metres. The wind farm is expected to become operational in the first half of the 2030s, subject to the timing of the planning and approvals process, secured offtake as well as grid connection.

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind: “Australia is a very attractive growth market for renewable energy. RWE has been active in the country for 10 years and operates one of Australia’s largest solar farms. By securing exclusive seabed rights in the Bass Strait off Gippsland, we are now entering the Australian offshore wind market and will bring our more than 20 years of experience in this field. With the Kent project, we will work on developing one of the first offshore wind farms off the Australian coast. This is in line with our strategy to grow our renewables portfolio in Australia and the wider APAC region.”

The next step for RWE in the further development of this early-stage project is to carry out studies to help determine the project design and to submit applications for planning permission. RWE will also engage with key stakeholders, First Nations groups and other communities. Another key milestone in the project’s development at a later stage is to secure an offtake agreement.

RWE brings many years of offshore wind expertise to Australia

RWE is one of the world’s largest offshore wind companies, with a more than 20-year track record of developing, building, and operating offshore wind projects efficiently. The company currently operates 19 offshore wind farms. New offshore wind farms with a total capacity of more than 4 GW are currently under construction in Europe and further offshore projects are under development worldwide. RWE wants to grow its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 GW today to 10 GW in 2030.

The RWE Group has been present in Australia since 2013. In 2018 it began construction of one of the country’s largest solar farms – the 249 megawatt (MW) Limondale Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW) and has been operating it ever since. In 2023 RWE’s eight-hour lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was the only successful project in New South Wales’ first Long Duration Storage Long-Term Energy Service Agreements tender process,  to deliver and operate Australia’s first eight-hour battery. Construction on the battery project, which will be located adjacent to the existing Limondale Solar Farm, will begin later this year. RWE plans to invest about $6 billion Australian dollars by 2030, to develop up to 3 GW of onshore wind, solar and battery projects across the country. Furthermore, the company is also committed to supporting the further development of offshore wind in Australia. RWE is based in Melbourne and has a team of almost 70 experienced employees in the country – supported by the global RWE team.

A project map and pictures of RWE’s European offshore wind projects are available at the RWE Media Centre. (Credit: RWE).