Danish Firm Wants to Build 3GW Offshore Wind Farm in Australia

Denmark-based renewables company Copenhagen Energy has released details of a proposed offshore wind farm in Commonwealth and State waters north of Geraldton in Western Australia.

The Midwest Offshore Wind Farm will comprise up to 200 turbines and six substations delivering 3GW of renewable electricity, enough to power three million homes and businesses, for up to 50 years. 

Based on the planned capacity and the planned number of turbines - up to 200 - means that each turbine will have at least 15MW generating capacity.

Copenhagen Energy said the turbines will be constructed from 10km to 70km offshore from Kalbarri in a project area covering 700km2.

"Copenhagen Energy modeling indicates that for every 1GW of power, the Midwest Offshore Wind Farm will create 14,500 direct and indirect jobs during construction, and 200 jobs during operation. It is expected to offset up to 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year," Copenhagen Energy said.

The Mid West wind farm is Copenhagen Energy’s second wind farm proposed for WA, following on from the Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm proposed for an area between Mandurah and Bunbury, south of Perth. The Leeuwin project will also comprise up to 200 turbines and six substations.

Copenhagen Energy Chief Executive Officer Jasmin Bejdic said the company was pleased to release details of its second proposed WA project after major announcements around energy and offshore wind farms by the Federal and WA Governments. The Perth/Bunbury region is one of six offshore wind zones recently announced by the Federal Government.

The company has cited the State Government, which has said it will close state-owned coal-fired power stations and seek alternative power sources for its South West grid.

"These are exciting developments for offshore wind farms in WA and Australia,” Bejdic said. “Our offshore wind farms are ideally placed to contribute to the power requirements of WA into the future,” Bejdic said.

“Our Leeuwin and Mid West projects can supply reliable, renewable energy to replace fossil fuel-generated power, create jobs during construction and operation, and help to develop new skills.

“The International Energy Agency has identified offshore wind energy as one of the ‘big three’ to provide the solution to global warming, along with onshore wind and solar.

“There is an increasing focus in Australia on climate action and reducing carbon emissions. Power from offshore wind farms is a clear winner in this regard.

“WA is uniquely well positioned to harness wind energy, particularly from offshore wind farms, with Perth being ranked the third windiest city in the world.

“Western Australia has ambitious plans for hydrogen production. The real environmental potential of hydrogen is only realized if the process is powered by renewable energy so there is a significant, growing demand for green energy for those projects.

“The release of our proposal is just the start of a long process that will involve comprehensive studies to understand the environmental, economic, and social impacts of our project.

“We will be talking to a range of local, State and Federal government agencies and local community, tourism, and fishing groups about our project and how we can develop it successfully.”  

The proposal has been submitted to the Federal Department of Water and the Environment for initial assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Pending approvals, Copenhagen Energy aims to start construction in 2028, with first power in 2030.

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