Offshore Wind Potential in Australia

Australia boasts exceptional offshore wind resources, with potential to generate 5,000 GW of electricity using fixed and floating infrastructure – a hundredfold of its major grids’ capacity. Premium resources are found in the southern half near populous areas and industries. Australia’s offshore wind potential has attracted international developers, offering a proven and competitive generation method to diversify the nation’s energy mix. Notably, Western Australia holds significant potential in this regard.

Site Selection

Australia’s offshore wind potential displays high
capacity factors, indicating strong and consistent
wind. Southern Tasmania boasts over 80% gross
capacity factors, while Bass Strait, the western coast,
and northern Queensland offer theoretical factors
exceeding 55%. South Australia and New South
Wales show common capacity factors above 45%.

Diagram on the right illustrates the average wind
velocity at a height of 100 meters using ERA-5
reanalysis data, depicting the worldwide (a) and
Australian (b) wind patterns, while panel (c) indicates
the positions of current offshore wind facilities with
capacities exceeding 200 MW in the North Sea.

Gross capacity factors for offshore wind around Australia.

Several potentially favorable sites for offshore wind exist, encompassing Western and southwest regions of Western Australia, marked by quality winds in coastal shallows; a limited northern Queensland zone with notably high capacity factors; and locations off the coastlines of New South Wales and Queensland. Numerous excellent spots align with significant industrial hubs like Port Kembla, Newcastle, Gladstone, and the southern part of Perth.