Iberdrola Australia has secured a key approval for its 3GW Aurora Green offshore wind project, clearing the way for metocean studies to begin.
The Offshore Infrastructure Regular (OIR) has approved the company’s feasibility-stage management plan for the development.
Aurora Green is located over 25km off the coast of Ninety Mile Beach in Gippsland, Victoria.
The approval allows Iberdrola to conduct wind and metocean measurements within the feasibility licence area, involving deployment of a floating light detection and ranging (FLiDAR) buoy (pictured), along with a wave buoy and seabed frame.
Iberdrola Australia said this equipment, set to be installed in mid to late July depending on the weather, will collect vital wind, wave, and oceanographic data to support the Aurora Green project development and design process.
Once complete, the Aurora Green project will comprise up to 150 wind turbines, generating up to 3GW of clean energy – enough to power more than 2.2 million homes.
Subject to further approvals, the first phase – with a capacity of approximately 1GW – is expected to become operational by 2032.