Govt gets behind offshore wind research

The federal government has demonstrated its support for the offshore wind sector by releasing new guidance to help developers, researchers, scientists and other interested parties apply for Research and Demonstration licences in declared offshore zones.

The aim is to establish a home for offshore renewables research as well as commercial generation projects.

The move has been welcomed by Rewiring Australia, whose founder and chief scientist Dr Saul Griffith has experience across Australia and the USA developing and engineering innovative renewable energy technologies, including floating offshore wind.

“The development and testing of this kind of technology is critical if we are going to get the most out of it in Australia. We need to encourage investment and innovation and this is one important way to do that,” Griffith said.

The Research and Demonstration licences will allow development and testing of offshore renewable energy technology, with the aim of ensuring Australia is a home for renewable investment, innovation and development, the government said.

Research projects might include using monitoring equipment such as special buoys to assess the feasibility of a region, or demonstration projects to investigate the viability of new technology before applying for a feasibility licence to progress to a full commercial project.

Research and Demonstration licences are proposed to last for 10 years and will be available across all six declared areas. Applications will be assessed for their appropriateness and projects will require community consultation.

“These Research and Demonstration licences are a big green light to domestic and international investors, signalling that Australia wants to be home to the next technological advance when it comes to offshore renewable development,” said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.

“Our first priority for Australia’s offshore renewables areas is to deliver cleaner and cheaper energy; we know there’s a huge reserve of renewable resources on offer if we can develop the technology to harness it.”

Rewiring Australia said the government’s initiative is expected to slash the cost of the initial R&D license, making early-stage projects for proving deep-water technologies more financially viable and de-risking larger-scale investment.

“Australia is in a unique position; we not only have abundant sun to support solar, but with the 6th longest coastline in the world and 85% of our population within 50 km of that coast, we’re well placed to scale up our offshore wind capabilities,” Griffith said.

“A diverse mix of renewable energy will make Australia less reliant on imported fuels and expensive and aging fossil fuel plants.”

The government is seeking feedback to improve and finalise its Research and Demonstration licence application guidelines, with public consultation open until 3 October 2025.

For more information, visit: https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/oei-framework-draft-research-demonstration-licence-guideline.

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