European developers inch closer to building WA's first offshore wind farm
EDF power solutions Australia — part of the French government's EDF Group — said it was behind a proposal titled Bunbury Offshore Wind Farm North, which received preliminary approval from federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen earlier this month.
Mr Bowen said the project would create 900 construction jobs and 450 ongoing jobs, and generate 1.5 gigawatts of energy.
It equates to about one-tenth of the entire zone's estimated capacity, and about 3 per cent of the additional generation expected to be needed by 2042.
EDF's second proposal for the southern part of the zone, Bunbury Offshore Wind Farm South, was also shortlisted alongside a project called Westward Wind.
Industry insiders have told the ABC Westward Wind belongs to Ocean Winds — a joint venture between Spain's EDP Renewables and France's ENGIE.
Ocean Winds said it could neither confirm nor deny its involvement.
The two shortlisted proposals will have to resolve the geographic overlap between them in order to progress.
Perth-based Wind with Purpose also applied for a licence in partnership with the UK's Barrington Energy, but was rejected.
The race to build a wind farm off WA's south-west coast has been a test of endurance since the federal government named Bunbury as one of six proposed offshore wind zone locations in 2022.
Faced with significant financial and regulatory headwinds, an initially eager pool of at least nine interested developers whittled itself down to three.
One early proponent forced to pull the plug, Copenhagen Energy, warned at the time the process would favour larger multinationals less willing to engage the local community.
The prediction appears to have been at least somewhat accurate — both EDF and Ocean Winds are large multinational companies, and neither has an office in WA.
However both developers have demonstrated sustained interest in the Australian market, having previously applied to work on similar projects on the east coast.
Ocean Winds was recently approved for a feasibility licence in Gippsland, Victoria, while EDF's application to work on Newcastle's offshore wind zone was unsuccessful.
EDF told the ABC it welcomed the minister's "preliminary" decision to approve its proposal for the Bunbury zone, and was "committed to a responsible and consultative development process".
"This marks an important step in progressing a project that has the potential to support WA's energy transition and deliver long-term benefits for local communities, industry and the regional economy," a spokesperson said.
Back home in Europe, both power providers have faced growing political resistance on the renewable energy front.
In France, the conservative Opposition recently pushed through a moratorium on new solar and wind projects, while recent blackouts in Spain have put a target on the back of novel energy sources.
While the Bunbury offshore wind farm has its own detractors in parliament and the local community, and the WA government remains on the fence.
Labor's decisive victory in this year's federal election has provided some security to developers that the sector has a future in Australia.
Wind with Purpose said it was disappointed by the government's decision to reject its Catalpa Offshore Wind Farm proposal, which was focused on powering the Kwinana Rockingham Industrial area.
It was the only developer to have signed an equity ownership agreement with local Aboriginal corporation Gnaala Karla Booja (GKB).
The company has until early July to appeal the decision.
"We're working through that process at the moment," chief executive and co-founder Chris Kearney said.
"It's certainly a little disappointing but there are a couple of areas we need to address … [so] we're still hopeful.
"The government was impressed and pleased by the partnership we've established [with GKB] … they don't just want to see developers ticking the box to say they've engaged with traditional owners."
The government said applicants were assessed based on a range of factors, including their technical capacity and financial situation.
The final decision on feasibility licences will depend on the outcome of consultations with First Nations groups, including Gnaala Karla Booja.
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