EDF Renewables in Australia has acquired the 10GW Newcastle floating offshore wind farm in Australia.
Currently under development near the Port of Newcastle and energy transmission networks, the project is proposed for the Hunter‐Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) as part of the NSW Government Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
It will be developed in stages to support the Australian government’s renewable targets and align with the progressive retirement of the ageing coal‐fired power stations in the region.
Initial project developer Newcastle Offshore Wind Energy (NOWE) has been working on the project for ten years.
In the last 12 months it has been working closely with EDF Renewables.
NOWE will continue to work on the project with EDF Renewables as a collaborative partnership that will be scaled up to meet the project needs.
Chief executive of EDF Renewables in Australia Dave Johnson said: “NOWE, based in Newcastle, has put in a lot of effort to build up their local development expertise and connect with the community and stakeholders, which puts this project in a great position to succeed in the proposed location and especially within the local community,.
“It’s always top priority for us to make sure the community and region benefit from our work and those benefits are clear, far‐reaching, and impactful for the entire community.
“This landmark project will be developed in collaboration with a strong local team based in Newcastle, and will require the establishment of an entirely new industry in Australia.
“I am very confident that this project will play a crucial role in providing new opportunities for employment, establishing new business and the revitalisation of existing business looking to transition from existing industries.”