Politicians and unions are pushing for offshore wind as a new power source off the Newcastle coast.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Newcastle council voted on Tuesday night to seek a meeting with Hunter union and business leaders and NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean to discuss the renewable technology.
The federal government is developing a regulatory and legal framework for offshore wind power in Australia and has granted a licence for the Star of the South project to explore the viability of wind power off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria.
The Department of Industry says the offshore renewables sector supports the government's objective to deliver a "reliable, secure and affordable energy system".
It says the industry has the capacity to offer a large, year-round power supply, lessen impacts on the landscape compared with other energy sources and attract significant investment in Australia's coastal economies.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle was an ideal location for offshore wind power due to its existing electricity infrastructure, skilled workforce and port.
She said a delegation to Mr Kean would ask for offshore wind power to be included in the state government's recently announced Hunter Renewable Energy Zone.
Labor's Shadow Minister Assisting for Climate Change, Shortland MP Pat Conroy, said he had spoken to companies which regarded Newcastle and Gippsland as the prime locations for offshore wind in Australia.
"Offshore wind is obviously bucket loads more expensive than onshore wind and solar, but it's got significant advantages in that it has higher capacity factor, which means the wind is more reliable," he said.
"It's very exciting. I've had briefings with some of the proponents. There's also opportunities for manufacturing jobs around the assembly of the wind farms.
"These things are so gigantic that a lot of the work has to be done close to where you're installing them."
The Maritime Union of Australia's Newcastle branch secretary, Glen Williams, said the Hunter was "very well placed to develop this type of industry".
"My limited understanding of the geography is that the continental shelf goes out a fair way here, which allows for offshore wind farms to be located over the horizon and out of sight," he said.
"This could transform a whole lot of industries up here and provide that ongoing work."
The International Energy Agency and Bloomberg New Energy Finance said in separate reports last year that offshore wind was poised to play an important role in power supply as costs fell.
Wind turbines are getting bigger, up to 250 metres tall, and generating more power, making the industry increasingly viable.
The global offshore wind market accounted for just 0.3 per cent of power generation in 2018 but grew nearly 30 per cent per year between 2010 and 2018.
The IEA report said offshore capacity could grow 15-fold over the next 20 years into a $US1 trillion industry.
About 80 per cent of offshore wind generation occurs in Europe.
Do you know you can subscribe to get full access to all Maitland Mercury stories? Subscribing supports us in our local news coverage. To subscribe, click here.
IN THE NEWS