How Port Kembla could support offshore wind as far away as Victoria

NSW Ports is again promoting Port Kembla as an offshore wind port following the federal government's decision to knock back such plans for Victoria's Port of Hastings on environmental grounds.

Hastings was identified as the Victorian government's preferred port when Gippsland became Australia's first declared offshore wind zone (the Hunter has also since been declared).

While Gippsland offshore wind farm's chief executive officer has flagged Geelong Port and the Port of Bell Bay as other options, NSW Ports says Port Kembla also has a role to play to deliver offshore wind and meet the federal government's target of net zero emissions by 2050.

NSW Ports released concept plans in February 2023 which outlined the development of multiple berths and storage facilities across 35 to 40 hectares of Port Kembla's outer harbour to service offshore wind farms.

Chief executive officer Marika Calfas said Port Kembla was well-located to support offshore wind zones in both NSW and Victoria, and had advanced plans for a terminal.

"Additionally Port Kembla is located within an existing industrial hub, including the BlueScope steelworks which may be used to provide certain steel inputs to wind farm projects," Ms Calfas said.

"Port Kembla already supports the renewable energy transition through its handling of onshore wind farm and solar farm components."

The development of Port Kembla's outer harbour for port facilities was approved in 2011 and Ms Calfas said modification of this approval would make the port available to the offshore wind industry.

"In this way Port Kembla is more advanced than other ports and can be progressed in a timely way to support the east coast offshore wind zones," Ms Calfas said.

NSW Ports anticipates a facility at Port Kembla would be ready within five years if work began now.

"Given we already have approved plans in place for a container and bulk port terminal development in the outer harbour we don't anticipate any significant issues modifying the approval to accommodate offshore wind port activities," Ms Calfas said.

While Port Kembla is some distance from Gippsland, multiple ports will be needed to support offshore wind zones.

Ms Calfas said industry participants indicated that Port Kembla could support the development of wind farms in Gippsland.

"Port Kembla can be made ready whilst other locations continue to be considered," she said.

The plan for Port Kembla has the backing of the region's peak business group, Business Illawarra, and one of the Illawarra wind farm proponents, Oceanex.

Business Illawarra executive director Adam Zarth said there was a very strong need for "capable and industrialised ports" like Port Kembla to support the offshore wind industry.

Mr Zarth said the region was able to provide and train, through the University of Wollongong and the public and private sectors, the people who could work with the complex equipment of the offshore wind farms.

Emily Scivetti, Oceanex's chief operating officer, said the company had worked with NSW Ports and the Port of Newcastle for over four years, and it was clear Port Kembla and Newcastle were the "two leading ports in Australia to service offshore wind".

"This is a huge opportunity for NSW and we encourage all efforts to prepare Port Kembla and the Port of Newcastle to take advantage of what could be a $50 billion industry for our state," Ms Scivetti said.

"There is no reason why Port Kembla and the Port of Newcastle should not be involved in servicing Victorian projects, both are well set up to deliver the multiple functions of a construction port."

Meanwhile, wind farm developers are still awaiting a decision on the proposed Illawarra offshore wind zone, and although there is no set timeline for this process, a determination is expected within the first quarter of the year.

The federal government declared the Hunter zone in July 2023, a little under three months after the consultation period ended, and the Gippsland zone a little over two months after consultation wrapped up.

The consultation period for the Illawarra closed on November 15, 2023.