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Final Up to date on: sixteenth August 2025, 02:48 am
The Clear Vitality Report 2025 paints an image of funding progress in onshore wind in 2024. Sadly, this has not been carried ahead into 2025, however we should have a good time the wins after we can. It additionally illuminates the explanations for the shortage of progress in Australia’s offshore wind growth.
Australia is a pacesetter in rooftop photo voltaic. Over 4 million photo voltaic roofs have been put in up to now — 3.2 GW in 2024 alone. My house is a microcosm of this. The solar is shining, creating electrical energy which is fed to my residence battery for storage and can later be used to energy my electrical automotive. We’re an energy-independent family, regardless that we’re nonetheless linked to the grid. I’d love so as to add a mini wind turbine, however in the meanwhile, these are nonetheless too costly. Though, this one appears to be like promising.
I used to be pleasantly shocked to learn the stats contained within the Clear Vitality Council report about onshore wind. Though rooftop photo voltaic is the one within the limelight, onshore wind is definitely producing extra energy for the Aussie grid, contributing 13.4% of electrical energy in contrast with rooftop photo voltaic at 11.2%. Maybe if we get rooftop wind, the lead will prolong additional! For these curious, right here is an interactive map of Australian wind farms. There may be clearly so much occurring. Wind generated 32.5 GWh in 2024, equal to powering 7 million houses, or about one third of Australia’s renewable vitality.
Onshore wind installations have confronted challenges in 2024, together with “uncertainties and inconsistencies in environmental assessments, provide chain points, uncertainty in income and power-purchase agreements, complexities relating to grid entry and lots of extra. These challenges imply the evaluation and willpower course of for onshore wind initiatives tends to be lengthier and extra complicated than different applied sciences.” Significantly photo voltaic. “On common throughout Australia, it takes photo voltaic initiatives six fewer months than wind initiatives to progress from monetary dedication by way of to the ultimate commissioned stage.”
However, why is there progress in onshore wind and so little in offshore wind? The principle purpose (as at all times) is political. Ocean websites for wind energy are managed by the federal authorities, which for ten years underneath a conservative get together blocked growth and obfuscated the citizens with misinformation. CleanTechnica printed about this right here. Underneath a brand new Labour federal authorities, progress is being made, albeit slowly. There’s a prolonged course of to evaluate environmental and engineering considerations. That is ably chronicled within the “Star of the South” newsletters I get every month, reporting on seabed research of wildlife, group consultations, and preliminary engineering works.
CEC experiences that 2024 noticed important developments in offshore wind, with areas declared off the New South Wales and Victorian coastlines. 12 GW of feasibility licences have been awarded throughout six declared areas, and laws clarified and streamlined. Geophysical works and hen surveys have commenced in some initiatives. Then there shall be “environmental influence assessments and, in the end, functions for business licences to assemble and function offshore wind farms.” It’s an extended, convoluted course of.
Let’s return to onshore wind — the progress right here is rather more encouraging. Six new wind farms have been linked to Australia’s grid in 2024, offering 836 MW of latest capability. Victoria continues to be the main state for wind era.
As of December 2024, there are 18 wind farms underneath development throughout Australia. Funding commitments of AU$5.9 billion have been made throughout eight initiatives. When accomplished, they’re anticipated so as to add 2.2 GW of latest capability. 4 of those are in Queensland, two in Western Australia, and one every in New South Wales and Victoria. With the Queensland authorities going conservative, the primary 4 could also be underneath risk. MacIntyre Wind Farm in Queensland is constant its buildout. When absolutely operational, it is going to be the most important wind farm by capability (923 MW) within the nation. CleanTechnica has reported on it right here.
The most important challenge in NSW, Uungula Wind Farm, is owned by Twiggy Forrest’s Squadron Vitality. It should host 69 generators producing 414 MW at peak output. In Victoria, the Golden Plains Wind Farm is anticipated to complete development by 2028, including over 1300 MW of capability. In the meantime, within the west of the nation, Acciona (proprietor of the Macintyre Wind Farm) is proposing to construct a 3 GW wind farm in West Australia’s wheat belt. It’s described as the most important wind farm exterior of China. That’s an fascinating metric — measuring vitality initiatives by China — and reveals a shift in energy manufacturing. Acciona’s wind farm is anticipated to create 100 everlasting jobs, create 400 jobs in development, and add AU$1 billion to the native economic system.
South Australia has lengthy been a pacesetter in renewables, and it’s nonetheless setting an instance. With two new wind farms receiving backing, this state is “set to turn into the primary gigawatt-scale grid on the planet to achieve 100 per cent ‘internet’ renewables, all by way of wind and photo voltaic.” The 2 wind farms are Neoen’s 300 MW Goyder North and Tilt Renewables’ 274 MW Palmer. Tilt is already supplying energy to BHP.
Neoen already owns the Hornsdale Energy reserve — the large battery Tesla constructed. Goyder is located a couple of 2 hours drive north of Adelaide. See their brochure for a wonderful map on web page 8 of the challenge lifecycle from growth to operation.
With the NEM reporting file demand ranges in 2024, Australia will want all of the electrical energy era it may possibly get. “To maintain prices low, meaning an rising want for extra renewables and higher transmission. Because the CEC places it: As the price of renewable applied sciences, notably photo voltaic and wind, continues to say no, they’ve turn into extra competitively priced than conventional fossil fuels like coal and gasoline. These vitality sources will not be solely cheaper to deploy and function but additionally present long-term worth stability, as their gas (daylight and wind) is free…. Renewable vitality is seen because the least value pathway to assembly rising demand.”
Not solely that, however Australia’s vitality independence and local weather change commitments depend upon electrification and the discount of imports of oil-based merchandise. You by no means know, we would even obtain the elusive decrease energy invoice all households crave.
Cease the press: It seems that new information from Bloomberg New Vitality Finance is displaying an “funding strike” on wind vitality. It’s reported that monetary commitments have fallen from AU$7.2 billion in 2024 to a paltry $700 million within the first half of 2025. Solely simply over 1.1 GW of latest capability has been dedicated. What’s going on? It seems that funding (particularly by Australia’s largest utilities — AGL, Origin, and Vitality Australia) is being directed to battery storage as an alternative. These utilities personal many of the remaining coal mills and account for 80 % of shopper demand. It could possibly be an influence play to retain market share. Hopefully Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian will assist sway the conversations. He’s the most important shareholder in AGL.
In response, Australia’s federal and state vitality ministers are assembly. The place, you ask? In Taronga Park Zoo. Hopefully that doesn’t portend an inauspicious end result! Keep tuned.
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