Testing begins for first offshore wind farm in Australia

Scientific testing begins this month for Australia’s first proposed offshore wind farm, near Gippsland, which could provide enough power for more than 1.2 million homes.

The testing comes as the union movement launches a campaign to lobby the state and federal governments to smooth the way for the project to proceed.

The Star of the South wind farm is expected to provide up to 2000 megawatts of power − about 18 per cent of the state’s power demand − and is set to cost between $8 billion and $10 billion.

Within weeks, the company will begin detailed studies of the wind and wave conditions at the 496-square-kilometre area off the south coast of Gippsland. It will also conduct environmental studies on marine and bird life.

If considered feasible, the wind farm is slated to provide “full power” by 2027.

Unions hope the wind farm will provide secure jobs for electricity workers in the Latrobe Valley, where the economy has relied heavily on coal-fired power generation.

The Latrobe Valley was hit hard by the closure of the Hazelwood power plant in 2017, and remaining coal-fired power plants are scheduled to begin closing in coming decades.

The broader region is bracing for more job losses with the state government phasing out native timber logging by 2030, sparking a furious response from the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union.

Previous estimates indicated the Star of the South wind farm could include 250 turbines but that is yet to be determined. Its proposed site is between 10 kilometres and 25 kilometres from Port Albert......

Building a wind farm at a cost of $4 - 5 per watt seems expensive, given that the current price is about $2 per watt. What will the Availability Factor of this wind farm? Typically it's 0.33 for a conventional wind farm.

The more wind turbines the better.

The wind shadow, mother nature V a few blades in the ocean, the bird slaughter stacks up as a better argument.

ChrisP wrote on Nov 13^th, 2019 at 4:11pm:

What about them? we have plenty of land and sun.

The more wind turbines the better.

Johnnie wrote on Nov 13^th, 2019 at 5:30pm:



Frogshit.

https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/wind-turbine-optic...

https://www.boredpanda.com/14-wind-turbines-aligned-in-a-row-in-nevada/

Apart from which wind forced around a wind turbine loses directionality and therefore force as the wind strikes at slightly different angles.

Wind turbines and paddocks of solar panels are entirely different. One needs wind, the other needs sun. 

So when the wind stops and it rains and the sun goes behind a cloud ... and you want to watch something on TV. What happens? Turn on the what?

lee wrote on Nov 13^th, 2019 at 2:58pm:


Even Bob Brown doesn't like these bird choppers.

If they put them offshore they don't have to clean up all the dead birds under them.

Johnnie wrote on Nov 13^th, 2019 at 6:48pm:



One behind the other.

Edit: Star of the South wind farm layout

http://www.starofthesouth.com.au/assets/img/the-project-hero.jpg

http://www.starofthesouth.com.au/the-project

lee wrote on Nov 13^th, 2019 at 7:03pm:


As opposed to not seeing anything in Delhi because of stinken emissions

https://www.kent.co.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Delhi-Pollution.png

of course none of those dirty stinken vehicles contribute anything to the problem

Don't forget china as well. Are they setting fire to sh.t too ??