Offshore wind farms, green steel and energy storage are all on the agenda for a new Illawarra Clean Energy Industry Roadmap being researched by Business Illawarra in partnership with the University of Wollongong.
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The project aims to describe how to keep the economic opportunities created by the clean energy boom within the region and will be led by Associate Professor Dr Tillmann Boehme from UOW's Business and Law Faculty.
Executive Director of Business Illawarra, Adam Zarth, said that while there was strong consensus that the clean energy sector was a major economic opportunity for the region, there needed to be a plan for how to maximise the benefits for local employers and the wider community.
"Renewable energy generation and storage are increasingly important sectors for the region and this research will help our members better understand these opportunities now, and moving forward," said Mr Zarth.
"These opportunities have been recognised by the federal government which has invested in an Energy Futures Skills Centre and a Renewable Energy Training facility here in Wollongong."
Among the subjects likely to be discussed in the report is the proposed offshore wind zone. It was announced by Chris Bowen at the Business Illawarra Clean Energy Summit held at Bluescope in August 2023. The community is currently waiting for the results of a consultation and the next steps of the project.
The University of Wollongong's Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Patricia Davidson, said that the project would look at a range of areas of opportunity for the Illawarra including workforce and employment, supply chains, governance and financing mechanisms and overall economic benefits arising from clean energy projects in the region.
The roadmap will be released in July.
