Flotation Energy has awarded Australian engineering giant Worley a pre-feasibility study contract for the planned Seadragon project, a 1.5-gigawatt offshore wind farm in the Bass Strait area off the coast of southeast Australia.
The project, with first power expected in 2030, would become one of the country’s first offshore wind farms, powering about one million homes and businesses in Victoria.
The Gippsland region and the Bass Strait is becoming a hotspot for energy transition efforts in Australia. Given the area’s existing oil and gas infrastructure, the Seadragon project could potentially repurpose surplus oil and gas assets for renewable infrastructure.
Other offshore wind projects in the region — the Star of the South and the Great Southern Offshore Wind project backed by Macquarie Group — are being developed, with the Victoria government allocating A$40 million (US$29 million) to the three projects.
US supermajor ExxonMobil is also in early engineering and design studies for a carbon capture hub in the Gippsland basin.
“Australia has a long-established history in conventional energy. The Seadragon project will act as an energy transition bridge between the oil and gas and wind industries, bringing opportunities to retrain and upskill local workforces into renewables-focused roles,” Christopher Cowland, vice president of Global Offshore Wind at Worley, said.
The project claims to have the potential to create more than 1600 jobs in the region.
“Our work with Flotation Energy on this project is a crucial milestone in Australia’s energy transition journey. It’s aligned with our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world and is integral in paving the path for the offshore wind industry ahead,” Cowland said.
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