Latest news with #VicGrid
Herald Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Offshore wind generation failure: risks more onshore wind turbines
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Victorian government's plan to get nine gigawatts of wind-farm capacity built off the state's coast is falling apart, putting farmers at risk of more onshore developments and transmission lines to offset the loss. Three offshore wind developments have already been abandoned — the 1.5GW Seadragon project off the coast of Ninety Mile Beach, the 0.5GW Vic Offshore and 1.1GW Southern Winds projects located off Portland. Even the massive 2.2GW Star of the South project is still preparing an environmental effects statement, despite having completed five years of scientific and feasibility studies. Last year federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek even rejected a Victorian government proposal to build a renewable energy terminal at the Port of Hastings, which was to be a base to build wind turbines before they were taken out to sea. Centre for Independent Studies energy research director Aidan Morrison said: 'We're seeing (offshore) projects cancelled left right and centre, because they're too expensive. 'Offshore wind developments cost at least twice as much as those onshore.' Yet despite the high costs and uncertainty the Victorian government's renewable energy planner, VicGrid, has incorporated 9GW of offshore wind development in its recently released transmission plan. VicGrid's assumes 500 offshore wind turbines, with an average capacity of 18MW, will be built from 2032 to 2040 to generate 9GW of capacity, equivalent to eight Loy Yang B power stations. VicGrid's plan also factors in 5.8GW of onshore wind farm developments, equivalent to 970 much smaller 6MW turbines. However, if Victoria's 9GW of offshore generation fails to materialise and is pushed onshore, the number of wind turbines that will need to be built across regional Victoria swells to 2470. VicGrid was asked if a shortfall in its offshore generation target meant more transmission lines and onshore renewable developments, but failed to answer the question, simply stating it would be regularly reviewing its plan. Victorian Energy Policy Centre director Bruce Mountain said the Victorian Government large targets offshore wind targets 'pre-suppose significant demand growth'. '(But) both demand growth and the challenges and costs of offshore wind are uncertain,' professor Mountain said. 'There has already been a large increase in offshore wind costs relative to expectations when the policy was adopted.' He said wind development off Victoria's coast 'now depends crucially on federal government support (and) much remains to be discovered'. Originally published as Offshore wind generation failure
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Farmers may lock the gate on renewables in Victoria
The Victorian government is pushing ahead with its long-term plan to transition to renewable energy, while farmers in the path of proposed projects have vowed to lock out developers. Government authority VicGrid released its draft 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan late last week, outlining a 15-year plan to move away from coal. It outlined seven priority renewable energy generation zones, a shoreline zone in Gippsland and four new transmission lines to be built over the next 15 years, with 970 turbines and 5.2 million solar panels expected to be added in that time. Ross Johns's Wimmera farm sits within one of Victoria's proposed renewable energy zones, north of Horsham in the state's west. Mr Johns, president of the Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association, said most farmers were unequivocally opposed to new renewables projects and transmission lines on farmland. "The government has to build this through what I would say is enemy territory, and I think it's going to be extraordinarily difficult," he said. Mr Johns said farmers felt abandoned by the state government and were also at war with it over its emergency services and volunteers levy. "This government has totally disregarded regional Victoria and totally disregarded farmers' rights and the importance of agriculture to the Victorian economy," he said. In the state's east at Giffard West, south of Sale, farmer Trent Anderson said sentiments were similar in his community. "We know everyone needs the power but this VicGrid, government push is just garbage," he said. Mr Anderson said an underground powerline was previously planned for his region, but that was being replaced with an overhead line under the new plan. "We will deal in really good faith with all the companies working on underground [transmission lines]," he said. "The whole point of this is that we're sick of everything changing all the time." VicGrid chief executive Alistair Parker acknowledged the broad opposition to renewables infrastructure on farmland, but said the impact would be limited. The planned renewable energy zones cover about 7 per cent of the state, but Mr Parker said only about 11 per cent of the land would be needed for development. Renewables projects are permitted outside the zones, but VicGrid said they must not "have a negative impact on other projects inside the zone". Mr Parker said the new transmission lines would be built on existing easements where possible. He said VicGrid was "committed to working with people and listening to what they value most in the landscape". Ultimately, landowners cannot block transmission lines on their land. But Mr Parker said they had the right to refuse wind and solar projects. "People are obviously really distressed in some communities about this sort of industrial infrastructure," he said. Renewable Energy Alliance national director Andrew Bray said listening to communities was key to establishing social licence around the transmission plan. "We're actually quite pleased to see the government engaging in a way that really allows lots of feedback loops for the community to be involved," said Mr Bray, whose independent not-for-profit was working with regional communities on the shift to renewables. The Transmission Plan will be open to feedback until June 24, before a final plan is published on July 31. Additional reporting by Warwick Long and Danielle Pope.
