Knowledge Transfer to Support the Build-Up of Australian Offshore Wind Industry
The Australian-German Energy and Climate Partnership supports the build-up of the Australian offshore wind industry by sharing lessons-learned from the German experience. In March 2024, an Australian delegation travelled to Germany, which strengthened cooperation among delegation attendees and advocacy work in Australia.
Background
Australia has only recently added offshore wind to its planned renewables portfolio, with the first offshore wind parks still to be built. Yet, Australia’s potential for this renewable energy source is tremendous. Since Germany has established a successful offshore wind industry, which is an integral part of the German energy transition, this is an area where Australia can benefit from the lessons Germany has learned over the years. The delegation trip and a subsequent online workshop served to share insights and enable networking between and among Australian and German stakeholders, both from industry and government.
Challenge and Goal
Australia’s offshore wind industry is still in its nascency, with practical experience lacking. However, Australia is determined to get the industry off the ground to contribute to its decarbonization targets. The Australian government is therefore interested to learn from countries that are further ahead in this area. The Australian-German Energy and Climate Partnership offers a suitable forum for exchanging insights and lessons learned. This promises to accelerate Australia’s entry into the offshore wind market, thus enabling swifter emission reductions.
Action taken
To support Australia’s entry into the offshore wind market, The Australian-German Energy- and Climate Partnership organized a delegation trip of Australian representatives from the federal and local governments, associations, academia, and industry to Germany in March 2024. During the four-day visit the delegation travelled to Berlin, Hamburg, and Cuxhaven, meeting industry and government representatives, who shared their insights on issues ranging from the establishment of a regulatory framework, workforce development, environmental impact assessment, coordination with other sectors, security considerations, technological innovation, and more. Site visits to a nacelle factory and the port of Cuxhaven as well as a round flight over four wind parks in the North Sea completed the experience. Some weeks later an online workshop was held to share the insights with a wider audience.
Impact
Following the trip, participants reported that the trip fostered deeper connections among them, creating a stronger network among actors within the emerging Australian offshore wind market. Since the trip, contact between the participants has been ongoing and joint initiatives have emerged. Moreover, one representative created a presentation based on his insights from Germany, which he delivered at more than twelve occasions across Gippsland, Victoria. This resulted in the creation of local advocacy groups that now actively work towards strengthening the offshore wind industry in Gippsland. Another participant summarized his insights in a 33-page report published by the Latrobe City Council that can now be shared with the wider stakeholder base in Australia and informs policy making in the Latrobe region.
