Surf mecca finds a way to battle energy crunch

Spain-based BlueFloat Energy said this week it is planning to set up wind farms off the coast of Australia.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said it is discussing the projects with advisory firm Energy Estate, which is represented in the Australian cities of Sydney, Canberra, and Adelaide.

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The plans include the construction of three facilities – two floating ones off the coast of New South Wales and one bottom-fixed off Gippsland. The difference between those is that bottom-fixed wind farms are rooted to the seabed, while floating ones are not and therefore can be installed in deeper waters.

Australia currently has no offshore wind farms, but is well-known for its “offshore wind resources,” being one of the globe’s favorite spots for surfing.

“Offshore wind energy is booming globally and now it is Australia’s time,” BlueFloat Energy’s CEO Carlos Martin said in a statement.

The Global Wind Energy Council recently forecast that over 235 gigawatt of offshore wind capacity will be installed during the next 10 years, with overall capacity set to reach around 270 gigawatt by 2030.

In November, the Australian parliament endorsed legislation that aims to “support the development of Australia’s offshore energy industry and deliver new jobs and investment in offshore wind farms and transmission projects.” Australia’s minister for industry, energy and emissions reduction, Angus Taylor, said the new laws would “accelerate a number of key projects already under development” in the sector.

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