Wind Energy – Australia
Ørsted has now received approval from the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) for its feasibility phase management plan for Gippsland Offshore Wind Farms 1 and 2.
The Management Plan details how our activities will be conducted safely in accordance with the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act (OEI Act) and allows us to commence feasibility activities, including our wind measurement campaign and geotechnical investigations, within our feasibility licence area in the Bass Strait, approximately 56km off the Gippsland coast.
These activities will cover geotechnical testing and sampling of the seabed, collecting essential data to help us understand the composition of the seafloor, to inform the overall design of our proposed offshore wind farm.
The geotechnical survey program is being undertaken by our survey vessel and will include seabed cone penetration testing and grab-sampling, and follows preliminary works undertaken in Victorian waters.
In addition, two units of Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) systems will be deployed to help us measure the wind, weather, and ocean (metocean) conditions. These will be installed and anchored on location in two places within our license area, where they will remain for up to two years.
