Elanora Offshore is planning to build a 5-GW offshore wind energy project in the Gippsland region, off the coast of Victoria, in southeastern Australia.

The consortium, led by Elanora Offshore, consists of EnergyAustralia, Respect Energy, Polpo Investments, KIMAenergy and Boskalis, and says it already has funding commitments for the project.

The offshore wind farm, to be built off the coast of the Gippsland region of Victoria, will create more than 3,000 jobs during the construction phase and 320 jobs during operations.

Upon receipt of a Feasibility License and other necessary approvals, the first phase of the Elanora Offshore project is expected to be operational by 2032, while the second phase will be completed by the end of 2034.

When operational, the project will provide enough clean energy to meet up to 40% of Victoria’s energy needs and will offset more than 600 million tonnes of carbon emissions over the life of the project.

“Our goal is to deploy world-leading, sustainable offshore wind technology with agility. We want to be part of a just transition, providing benefits for local communities and minimizing environmental impact,” said Maya Malik, CEO of Elanora Offshore.

EnergyAustralia operates the Yallourn coal-fired power station which provides one-fifth of Victoria’s power and accounts for 8% of Australia’s domestic electricity market. The power station is due to close in 2028. With over 1.5 million customers, EnergyAustralia’s future purchase agreement with Elanora Offshore would support the commercial viability of the project.

Gippsland waters are home to Australia’s first declared offshore wind area and will host several large projects aimed at replacing aging coal-fired power stations.