EPA terminates environmental assessment of Geographe Bay offshore wind farm proposal at proponent’s request

The Environmental Protection Authority has terminated its assessment of the Geographe Bay offshore wind farm project at the request of the proponent. In an official notice last week, the EPA confirmed the decision. “At the request of WA Offshore Windfarm Pty Ltd and pursuant to s. 40A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the Environmental Protection Authority has decided to terminate the assessment of the proposal,” it read. WA Offshore Windfarm Pty Ltd was a joint venture between the German-based company Skyborn Renewables and Britain’s Australis Energy. In September, The Times reported the partners planned to develop an offshore wind farm in Geographe Bay capable of generating 300MW of wind power. Danish company Copenhagen Energy and Melbourne’s Oceanex Energy were also interested in the project. A spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the EPA decision was a matter for the State Government and the proponent. They said Western Australia was still in the early stages of finding suitable candidates for the proposal. In September, Mr Bowen visited Bunbury to green-light the offshore wind farm, but announced it would be almost half the size of the original plan after community consultation. He said the wind farm would be divided into two sections at least 30km from the coastline with the total area cut from 7600sqkm to 4000sqkm. Mr Bowen estimated it would be operational between 2028 and 2032 and would generate up to 11.4GW — “enough to power all the homes and manufacturing industries in the South West”. Then, in October, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made a trip to Busselton and announced he would scrap the proposed offshore wind farm for Geographe Bay if the Coalition was elected. For another proponent to take on the wind farm proposal, they would be required to submit a separate application to the EPA. South West MLC Steve Thomas welcomed news of the termination. “I am not surprised that a proponent has pulled out given the massive local backlash, I am simply pleased,” he said. “Geographe Bay is an iconic part of the culture and lifestyle of the South West and it is used for recreation by hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors. “I am not opposed to all wind farms, but this is simply the wrong place to put them.” Skyborn Renewables and Australis Energy were contacted for comment.