The Tasmanian Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the owners of the Bass Offshore Wind Energy Project (BOWE).
The agreement commits both parties to work together to supply northern Tasmania with green offshore wind energy.
BOWE is a multi-billion-dollar, gigawatt-scale offshore wind farm proposed for Bass Strait, north-east Tasmania.
The project can potentially deliver an economic boost to northern Tasmania by providing a large-scale and renewable energy source for future green industry such as hydrogen and aluminium at Bell Bay, as well as providing excess renewable energy into the National Electricity Market.
Following the forming of the MoU, BOWE will progress through the feasibility licencing process once the area is declared, as set out in the Commonwealth’s Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act, a process which has already commenced in Gippsland, Victoria and will in the Hunter region in NSW soon.
The MoU was signed by Guy Barnett, Minister for Energy and representatives of BOWE, Ingunn Svegården, Senior Vice President Renewables Asia Pacific, Equinor, and Glen Kierse, CEO, Nexsphere, with a ceremony held in Devonport, Tasmania, at the 5th Annual Energy Development Conference.
In addition to the supply of offshore wind energy, the agreement will also see the parties working together to assist in northern Tasmania being declared an Offshore Renewable Energy Zone by the Commonwealth Government.
The parties also agree to support the growth of local jobs and economic development in northern Tasmania, the efficient planning and delivery of transmission infrastructure and port facilities and working together on environmental issues and community consultation.
Svegården said: “We are thrilled to be part of BOWE and will draw upon our deep global experience and resources from 50 years of offshore energy production to ensure that the project can be safely, sensitively and successfully developed.”