By PHILIP HOPKINS

 

VICGRID has refined the study area for the transmission infrastructure needed to support offshore wind generation off the coast of Gippsland and is seeking a builder for the project.

VicGrid’s study area, released in March this year, starts around six kilometres from the coast near Giffard and extends north-west past Stradbroke West to Willung, across to Flynns Creek to the Loy Yang Power Station.

The area will host the transmission to enable the development of two gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind generation, developed through community consultation during 2023.

VicGrid Chief Executive, Alistair Parker said VicGrid had now taken the first steps in refining the study area, identifying some areas not suitable for further investigation to host the transmission. These areas include land hosting threatened native plants, areas where there are construction challenges and some areas west of the Loy Yang Power Station that are not needed or not suitable to host transmission

After consideration of the merits of 330 kilovolt (kV) and 500 kV transmission technology, VicGrid has also decided a 500kV transmission line is the most suitable solution for this project.

“We will now continue to engage with landholders to identify important areas and features and carry out field investigations as it works to refine the study area to a preferred corridor in the first half of next year,” Mr Parker said.

VicGrid was keen to work closely with landholders so it could understand important areas and features on their properties and take this into account in its design work.

“Local knowledge will play a crucial role in the planning of this infrastructure and I would like to thank landholders who have been engaging with us and sharing information about their properties,” he said.

“The more we can understand about things like people’s farming practices, irrigation systems and soil and pasture types, the better job we can do of minimising impacts.”

Mr Parker said talking with VicGrid early in the process provided the best opportunity for locals to influence the location for the new transmission. Landholders are encouraged to get involved in the next stage of refining the study area by meeting with their dedicated landholder liaison adviser, joining a neighbour meeting where they and their neighbours can come together to ask VicGrid questions as a group, and by completing a survey on important areas and features.

VicGrid has also set up a local hub in Rosedale for landholders and the community to drop in and speak to the project team. The VicGrid Rosedale hub will be open at the Rosedale Neighbourhood House on Thursdays until the end of March 2025, with a short break over Christmas.

The authority has also released an expression of interest for an industry partner to help design, build, finance, operate and maintain the transmission infrastructure to support offshore wind.

VicGrid said it is looking for a development and construction partner that will work closely with local communities, Traditional Owners and landholders while driving value for money for Victorian energy users.

The project is expected to create an average of 600 jobs a year in the construction phase, peaking at 1460 during 2027. Construction is expected to start in late 2027 and the infrastructure will begin operating in 2030.

The transmission to support offshore wind is subject to an Environmental Effects Statement process, which is now underway and involves a thorough investigation of the potential environmental impacts of the project, including social, agricultural and economic aspects.

Victoria has a legislated 95 per cent renewable energy targets by 2035. Communities and Traditional Owners that host new transmission lines will benefit from special funds created by the state government.

Landowners that host transmission infrastructure will receive $200,000 per kilometre of transmission hosted on their properties, which is on top of existing compensation arrangements which cover the loss of land value.

For more information about how people can get involved and share their feedback, visit VicGrid at: engage.vic.gov.au/vicgrid

Companies who wish place an expression of interest or seeking further information should visit: tenders.vic.gov.au