On Tuesday (20 February), the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water presented a draft plan for a 7,674 km2 region between Dawesville and Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, at least 20 kilometers offshore from Bunbury.

The draft designs could support up to 20GW of offshore wind capacity, creating up to 12,000 construction jobs and 6,000 permanent jobs in the region, according to the government.

The administration invited opinions on the plans during the first phase of public discussions, which runs from February 20 to May 3. The primary focus will be on the region’s suitability for offshore wind and the potential impact on local people and maritime users.

Australia now has approximately 11GW of installed wind energy, all of which is onshore, according to Windpower Intelligence, Windpower Monthly’s statistics and research branch.

Although fossil fuels continue to dominate Australia’s energy mix, the country aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with individual states establishing objectives for offshore wind development. Victoria, for example, plans to construct 2GW of offshore wind power by 2030, rising to 9GW by 2040.