Star of the South and Kut-Wut Brataualung Projects Secure Offshore Wind Leases in Australia. Australia and New Zealand Projects to Live Under New Brand, Southerly Ten.

May 1, 2024 – Copenhagen, Denmark & Melbourne, Australia: 

As part of the team behind Star of the South, Australia’s most advanced offshore wind project, Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP), a global leader in offshore wind development and construction, is proud to have secured two of the country’s first feasibility licences, paving the way for increased jobs and investment in Australia’s clean energy future. The Australian Government today confirmed licence recipients following a detailed assessment of applications submitted for the Gippsland offshore wind zone last year.

Both projects are being progressed by Southerly Ten – a specialist offshore wind developer unveiled today by the team behind Star of the South and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). CIP has established Southerly Ten to unlock the energy, climate and economic benefits of offshore wind in Australia and New Zealand. Copenhagen Offshore Partners is the exclusive offshore wind development partner to CIP.

Southerly Ten’s two Gippsland projects are:

Star of the South – a 2.2 GW project within a 586km2 area located at least 10 kilometres off the Gippsland coast, between Port Albert and Woodside Beach.

Kut-Wut Brataualung – a 2.2 GW project within a 689 km2 area located 45 kilometres from the southern tip of Wilsons Promontory. The project is named in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Corporation (GLaWAC) recognising a family group of the Brataualung peoples that lived in and around the Toora area.

 

 

Built to their full potential, these projects would power more than 2.4 million homes, inject $14 billion into the Australian economy – including up to $7 billion in the Gippsland region – and create up to 12,000 jobs over the life of the projects, including hundreds of ongoing long-term Gippsland-based jobs during 30 years of operations.

COP Australia CEO and Southerly Ten’s CEO, Charles Rattray, welcomed the licence announcements as a critical next step for driving near term jobs and investment in Australia. “These licences signal that Australia is open for business and open to the economic opportunities offshore wind can provide for our regional communities,” he said. “Star of the South is already well progressed – we’ve studied this area for five years under an Exploration Licence and know it’s in a location with strong winds, ideal sea depths and suitable seabed conditions. Kut-Wut Brataualung is at an earlier stage, so our first steps will be to study the wind and local environment and build a really comprehensive understanding of that specific area, while consulting with local Gippsland communities.”

COP Australia CDO and Southerly Ten’s CDO Erin Coldham said the result would bring more jobs and investment to Australia, while supercharging the nation’s efforts to meet its climate, energy and economic goals.“Offshore wind is a game-changer for Australia, representing a scale up in our global climate commitments and ambition, while bringing new economic opportunities to our shores,” she said. “Regions like Gippsland have powered our nation for the past 100 years – offshore wind can continue the tradition for the next generation and we’re already seeing the benefits flow. Star of the South has already created jobs for locals and injected millions into the Gippsland economy, supporting local businesses, vessels and fishers at this early development stage – we look forward to continuing this investment in Gippsland’s people and future with our two projects going forward.”

A feasibility licence is the first approval needed to start investigating and planning an offshore wind farm, while further approvals are needed to proceed to construction, incorporating years of community and stakeholder engagement as projects work through the different development stages.

Southerly Ten is powered by investment from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) – the world’s largest fund manager dedicated to greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind.

Head of CIP Australia, Jorn Hammer, said Southerly Ten will lead the development and delivery of CIP’s local offshore wind portfolio. “CIP was an early believer in Australia’s offshore wind potential, proudly working with our partner Cbus, local communities, government and industry to kick-start an offshore wind industry. since 2017,” he said. “We’re excited to move forward with Southerly Ten to explore more opportunities to bring investment, jobs and energy to regional Australia and New Zealand.”

The name Southerly Ten reflects the company’s dedicated focus on Australia and New Zealand, and its aspiration to deliver ten gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity across the region.

Southerly Ten is also pursuing a feasibility licence in the Hunter region for its Destiny Wind project, with a focus on early community and stakeholder engagement to understand local views and opportunities.

 

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About Copenhagen Offshore Partners 

Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) is a world leader in offshore wind project origination, development, and construction. COP is accelerating the energy transition through development of a 50+ GW project portfolio. An industry pioneer, the group is leading project development in new markets, including four projects currently under construction – Changfang Xidao and Zhong Neng in Taiwan, Vineyard Wind 1 in the United States and Jeonnam 1 in Korea. COP also specializes in system integration capabilities, including power-to-x. COP’s expert team are advancing projects across 17 offices in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. COP is a proudly independent company owned by its management. Learn more at www.cop.dk

 

About Southerly Ten

Southerly Ten is a specialist offshore wind energy developer for Australia and New Zealand, from the team behind Star of the South and backed by CIP. We bring unmatched commitment and capability to our mission – to advance a local offshore wind industry and leave a positive legacy of clean energy for future generations. www.southerlyten.com.au

 

About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP)

Southerly Ten is powered by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world’s largest fund manager dedicated to greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. CIP has been progressing Star of the South since 2017 together with Cbus Super and Australian Founders. CIP partners with superannuation funds worldwide, including Cbus Super and NZ Super, to build worker’s retirement nest eggs with investments that support the global energy transition. CIP invests for impact, with a goal to deploy more than $150 billion equity to reduce global carbon emissions by 1% by 2030. www.cip.com