Wind Energy – Australia
Australia’s Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) has approved the feasibility stage management plan of Blue Mackerel North for the Blue Mackerel project off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria.
The approval allows Blue Mackerel to begin feasibility activities, including metocean and geotechnical investigations to assess the potential for harnessing renewable energy.
The management plan is a legally binding document that details how activities are to be carried out under an Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act (OEI Act) licence.
Before an OEI Act licence holder can commence activities that involve the construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance or decommissioning of infrastructure in the Commonwealth offshore area, they must have their management plan approved by the OIR.
Once approved, the licence holder is required to submit a summary of the management plan to the OIR within 30 days.
Geotechnical survey vessel Fugro Mariner is gearing up for detailed seabed investigations, which are planned to commence in early March.
Blue Mackerel also said it will launch a Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) system to gather essential data on wind, waves, currents, and tides over the next 2-3 years.
