Australian authorities have declared Bass Strait, Northern Tasmania as an offshore wind area, marking the 6th zone to be declared in the country.  The area has the potential for up to 20 GW power generation and covers an area of 7,100 km2, shown on the map below. The site is located just south of the Gippsland Area, where feasibility licenses were awarded in Q2 earlier this year. The Gippsland round attracted significant interest from developers, with 12 projects securing feasibility licenses. Developers have now three months, until March 12 next year to submit application for feasibility licenses on in Bass Strait area, with an award expected by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

A number of developers have expressed interest in the area, including Norwegian Equinor and Australian renewables developer Nexsphere, having proposed a three phased project in the area. The round also opens the door for new opportunities in the area for developers not successful in the Gippsland round earlier this year. Projects awarded in the are expected to be long-term opportunities for developers, with in-sea development not expected until well into the 2030ies.

Image credit: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water