On July 16 the ABC reported that BlueFloat Energy, the only applicant for a feasibility licence in the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone, was withdrawing from offshore wind internationally. Locally, news headlines declared the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone project “sunk”.
So, is it?
As the Illawarra Flame has done since offshore wind discussions first kicked off in 2023 – when fake news was spreading faster than you could say ChatGPT – we turned to the spokespeople for the University of Wollongong’s Blue Energy Futures Lab, a network of more than 30 experts in social science, ecology, health, engineering and maritime law.
“If one land developer backs out of West Dapto, no one says that all of the development of West Dapto is sunk forever,” said UOW’s Energy Futures Network Director, Ty Christopher.
“Bluefloat’s US parent company pulling out of Australia is a set-back, but the offshore wind zone is still declared and the pathway for other developers, possibly Australian-backed and owned, is now wide open.
“There are global forces in play with offshore wind. In particular, the fossil fuel industry who helped Trump into the presidency are now seeing the return on their investment as his administration systematically dismantles the US renewables industry. The Australian offshore wind industry is, like many others, seeing the impact of this global uncertainty.”
Clean Energy Roadmap launched
On July 9, Business Illawarra launched the new Illawarra Clean Energy Industry Roadmap, a 30-year plan for a prosperous local future. Some of the opportunities that Business Illawarra Director Coralie McCarthy highlighted were a chance to create jobs, make turbine parts and for Port Kembla to become the first east coast port that can service wind projects.
Ty Christopher, one of six UOW experts who authored the roadmap, believes the region’s engaged and innovative community could make the Illawarra a trailblazer in clean energy.
“Remember, the economic benefits for the Illawarra result from our region building the offshore wind infrastructure, using our skilled people,” he said. “Whether the kit which is built finds its home off the Illawarra coastline or some other coastline matters a lot less.
“Build it here for all of Australia is what is important.”
‘This is an opportunity to reset’
One of the original drivers of the Blue Futures Lab’s free, evidence-based and publicly available FAQ page on offshore wind, Associate Professor Michelle Voyer is a marine social scientist at UOW’s Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security.
She sees the lull in offshore wind as a chance to reset, to work out better governance and community-engagement models, and begin the baseline research on migratory species – such as whales and seabirds – that will take at least five years to complete.
“I do think it’s an opportunity for us to potentially take a step back, take a look at lessons learned, and think about how we reposition for when the inevitable happens,” she said.
“What we’re seeing at the moment is a global contraction … these things fluctuate over time, but the overall trend that we’re seeing is that offshore wind is going to continue to grow.
“Overall, there’s a strong push to develop this industry around the world. And I think we’ll find ourselves back in a position where this is something of interest to global capital again in the future, and we need to be ready for that.”
‘Just be kind’
The Illawarra has endured two years of polarising debate, from social media smears to real-life rallies giving a platform to climate deniers. Who could forget the time Member for New England Barnaby Joyce came to Lake Illawarra and told people at a wind farm protest rally to use their ballot paper as bullets to “say goodbye” to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, or the federal election forum of mostly right-wingers in Warilla, where a Greens candidate was booed for acknowledging Country.
“We’ve been advocating for a long time for the need for us to just be kind,” said Michelle, who was recently awarded a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) fellowship to support her research into innovation in ocean governance for sustainable, equitable blue futures.
“That’s certainly an area that I’m really keen to explore – what are the opportunities within engagement processes that look for collaboration, for areas of common ground, areas of mutual concern that we can work with as a foundation for building community, rather than dividing community.”
