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Offshore wind farms will be located in waters governed by the Australian Government and can only be built in areas approved by the government.

The energy generated will travel under the sea through Victorian state waters and connect on shore to provide clean energy to Victorian homes and businesses.

Two areas off the Victorian coast have been declared suitable for offshore wind: Gippsland and the Southern Ocean region.

Offshore wind in Gippsland

Gippsland offshore wind map March 2025
Offshore wind in Gippsland

Gippsland declared offshore wind area and feasibility licence locations

There are 3 separate parts of the ocean off the Gippsland coast that are marked as Australian Government declared areas for offshore wind.

Within these 3 parts there are 12 different-sized segments where feasibility licences have been awarded by the Australian Government to potential offshore wind projects.

In Part 1, which starts at 10 km from the coast, from near Port Albert to the Gippsland Lakes Coast Park, there are 6 feasibility licence project areas.

These include 3 feasibility licences starting at 10km from the coast:

  • Blue Mackerel 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity
  • Star of the South 2.2 GW
  • Gippsland Dawn 2.1 GW.

Directly behind these feasibility licence areas, starting from about 25km from the coastline, are:

  • Great Eastern Offshore Wind 2.5GW
  • Aurora Green 3 GW
  • Navigator North 1.5 GW.

In Part 2, starting at about 60 km from the shoreline, and behind Part 1, are another 4 feasibility licence holders that border each other:

  • Gippsland 1 2.8 GW
  • Gippsland 2 2 GW
  • Kent Offshore Wind 2 GW
  • High Sea Wind 1.3 GW.

In Part 3, which starts at about 25 km from the tip of Wilsons Promontory, are 2 more feasibility licence areas:

  • Gippsland Skies 2.5 GW, which is located about 35km from the coast
  • Kut-Wut Brataualung 2.2 GW, which starts at about 45km from the coast.
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Declared area: The Gippsland declared area is around 15,000sq km and begins at least 10km from shore, in waters governed by the Australian Government.

In December 2022, the Australian Government declared an area off Gippsland in the Bass Strait as Australia’s first and largest, offshore wind zone. The area was declared following extensive investigations and consultation with stakeholders and the community.

Feasibility licences: Following the declaration, offshore wind developers were invited to apply for feasibility licences. A total of 37 applications were received, and in July 2024, 12 projects were awarded licences for the Gippsland offshore wind declared area.

Traditional Owners: The Gippsland declared area is predominantly located in Gunaikurnai Sea Country. Wilson’s Promontory and the Sea Country surrounding it have not had formal recognition applied; Gunaikurnai, Kurnai, Boonwurrung, and Bunurong peoples all assert interests in this area.

Gippsland proposed offshore wind projects

Size: 1.28 GW

Proponent: Ocean Winds

LinkedIn: Ocean Winds

Size: 2.5 GW

Proponent: Mainstream Renewable Power, Reventus Power, Direct Infrastructure and AGL

Website: Gippsland Skies

LinkedIn: Gippsland Skies

Size: 2.8 GW

Proponent: Ørsted

Website: Ørsted

LinkedIn: Ørsted

Size: 2.2 GW

Proponent: Southerly Ten (Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners – CIP)

Website: Southerly Ten

LinkedIn: Southerly Ten

Size: 2 GW

Proponent: Ørsted

Website: Ørsted

LinkedIn: Ørsted

Size: 1.5 GW

Proponent: Origin & RES

Website: Origin

A visualisation shows what wind farms 10km off the coast of Golden Beach could look like on the horizon

Visualising wind turbines off the coast of Gippsland

Our wind turbine interactive images will help you visualise what the wind turbines off the coast of Gippsland might look like.

You can learn more about offshore wind in Gippsland by visiting the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Offshore wind in the Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean offshore wind map March 2025
Offshore wind in the Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean declared area and feasibility licence holder

An Australian Government declared area beginning 15km off the coast of Port Fairy and Warrnambool includes Spinifex Offshore Wind Project's 1GW+ feasibility licence area in the left-hand corner of the declared area closest to land. This takes up about a third of the declared area.

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Declared area: The Southern Ocean declared area is around 1,030 km2 and is located 15 to 20 km off the coast of Warrnambool and Port Fairy, also in waters governed by the Australian Government.

In March 2024, the Australian Government declared the Southern Ocean region as suitable for offshore wind development. Like Gippsland, this decision followed extensive investigations and community consultations.

The area was declared following extensive investigations and consultation with stakeholders and the community.

Feasibility licences: In February 2025, the Australian Government awarded a feasibility licence to Alinta Energy for its Spinifex project in the Southern Ocean.

Learn more about offshore wind in the Southern Ocean at Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

Traditional Owners: The Southern Ocean declared area is located in Eastern Maar Sea Country and Gunditjmara Sea Country.

Southern Ocean proposed offshore wind project

Spinifex Offshore Wind Project

Size: 1GW+

Proponent: Alinta Energy/JERA Nex-Parkwind

Website: Spinifex Offshore Wind

LinkedIn: Spinifex Offshore Wind

Stay updated

Visit our news and events page to find what's happening in offshore wind energy in Gippsland and the Southern Ocean.

Have a question? Contact us at offshorewind@deeca.vic.gov.au.

Page last updated: 17/03/25