The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded Alinta Energy Ltd with AUD1.5 million (US$1.3 million) to conduct a wind resource study and expedite early-stage development for the 1 GW Spinifex Offshore Wind Farm project off the coast of Portland, Victoria, Australia.
It is envisaged that the offshore wind farm will be connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via the existing substation at the Portland Aluminium Smelter and will decarbonize its operations by supplying renewable electricity.
The AUD3.47 million (US$3.2 million) investment for the first phase of the project includes the acquisition and deployment of land-based Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) equipment to verify the wind resources at the proposed Portland location. Spinifex will also conduct stakeholder and community consultations and initiate planning and environmental studies' scoping efforts.
