Iberdrola launches metocean studies for Australian offshore wind farm

Iberdrola Australia secures crucial approval from Australian authorities to begin metocean studies for its 3GW Aurora Green offshore project off the coast of Victoria, marking a decisive stage in its development.

Share:

The Australian subsidiary of the Spanish energy group Iberdrola recently secured essential approval from Australia’s offshore infrastructure regulator, the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR), enabling the official start of metocean studies at the site of its future offshore wind farm named Aurora Green. Located over 25 kilometres offshore from Ninety Mile Beach, in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria, the project has a maximum planned capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW). According to Iberdrola Australia, the studies will involve deploying specialised equipment to gather necessary data on wind, wave, and oceanographic conditions. The technical operations are expected to begin by mid to late July, depending on weather conditions.

Equipment and technical objectives

To conduct these studies, Iberdrola Australia will install a Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) buoy for remote laser wind measurement, along with a wave measurement buoy and a seabed frame. These instruments will collect accurate and continuous data on local weather and oceanographic conditions, critical to the final design of the wind farm. The obtained results will help optimise the layout and technical design of turbines and associated infrastructure for the Aurora Green project.

The offshore wind farm is expected to include up to 150 offshore wind turbines, reaching a total planned capacity of 3GW once fully operational. At full capacity, Aurora Green will generate enough electricity to meet the energy needs of approximately 2.2 million Australian homes. This figure indicates the project’s scale and its potential significance within Australia’s regional and national electricity grid.

Development timeline

Subject to further regulatory and environmental approvals, Iberdrola anticipates commissioning Aurora Green in multiple phases. The project’s initial phase foresees a capacity of approximately 1GW, with commissioning currently projected around 2032. Subsequent phases will gradually complete the total planned 3GW capacity, depending on the approval and construction schedule to be established.

This development occurs as Australia continues to diversify its energy portfolio through a significant expansion of offshore wind capacities. The country recently granted several licenses for such projects, underscoring growing private sector interest in this class of energy assets. Iberdrola Australia is now one of Australia’s leading offshore wind developers with the Aurora Green project, joining other recently launched Australian projects by national and international actors.

A crucial preparatory phase

The recent approval granted by the OIR represents only a preliminary, though fundamental step in what remains a lengthy regulatory and technical process. The project must still undergo several key stages before construction can begin, including detailed environmental impact studies and public approval procedures.

Depending on results obtained from upcoming metocean studies, Iberdrola will refine the project’s planned schedule and adjust the technical strategy of Aurora Green. These initial studies will enable the developer to definitively validate the technical and economic feasibility of the selected site for this major project off the Victorian coast.

Equinor announces a significant impairment on its offshore wind project Empire Wind, due to regulatory changes and tariffs, affecting its quarterly results.
Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation No. 3 (SEPCO3) has signed an EPC contract for the construction of the 700 MW Yanbu wind energy project under Saudi Arabia's National Renewable Energy Program.
The 17 MW floating wind turbine prototype, the most powerful in the world, was launched in China, marking a significant advancement in offshore turbine manufacturing and supporting the development of deep-sea offshore wind power.
RWE has inaugurated the Mondonuovo wind farm in Italy, a 53.1 MW facility capable of powering 55,000 Italian households. This project marks a key milestone in the development of renewable energy in Italy.
Swiss company Wysenergy has secured public funding for its first wind project in France, located in the municipality of Faux-Fresnay and selected under the PPE2 tender scheme.
Energy supplier OVO plans to invest several hundred million pounds in the renovation of British wind farms, aiming to increase national capacity and accelerate the country’s energy transition.
Danish group Cadeler has taken early delivery of the Wind Keeper, its eighth vessel, now tied to a three-year contract with Vestas worth a firm EUR210m ($228m), including additional options.
bp has announced the sale of its US onshore wind operations to LS Power, strengthening the American group’s 21GW portfolio and continuing its global asset divestment strategy.
Dstgroup, through its subsidiary dstventures, invests €1.5mn ($1.62mn) in Gazelle Wind Power and commits to building the structures for the Nau Azul project, marking progress for the floating wind industry in Portugal.
German group wpd takes over the teams and a portfolio of 17 wind projects from Calycé, consolidating its position in the French market and expanding its regional presence, particularly in the Grand Est, with the support of Envinergy.
SPIE Wind Connect partners with Van Oord to connect and test 21 high-voltage cables for the Windanker offshore wind farm, marking a key milestone in the development of Germany’s offshore wind sector.
Envision Energy and FERA Australia announce an agreement to develop up to 1 GW of wind and 1.5 GWh of storage on the Australian market, laying the foundation for a new hybrid power plant model.
German group RWE has completed installation of all 100 monopile foundations at Sofia, a 1.4 GW offshore wind farm located 195 kilometres from the British coast, marking a major step in the construction of the project.
Greece’s wind sector reaches a new milestone with 5.5 GW installed, driven by 37 new turbines and €180 mn in investments during the first half of 2025, according to ELETAEN.
Nomura Real Estate has signed a power purchase agreement for its new Tokyo headquarters with wpd and GPSS Group, supplying the Higashi Izu Furusato wind project with a capacity of 7.48 MW.
Energiequelle completes the commissioning of two Enercon E-160 turbines in Raßlitz, replacing previous models and increasing the installed capacity of the Saxony site more than fivefold.
Ørsted has completed a $2.75bn project financing with 25 banks and five export credit agencies for the 632 MW Greater Changhua 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan, strengthening its industrial partnership strategy. —
Masdar and Iberdrola announce a joint investment of €5.2 billion in the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom and full commissioning of the German Baltic Eagle project (476 MW).
Energiekontor AG has secured contracts for four wind projects with a total capacity of 125 megawatts, following the Federal Network Agency's May 2025 tender in Germany.
Ecopetrol S.A. finalises the acquisition of Wind Autogeneración from Enel S.A.S., thereby taking over the Windpeshi wind project in Colombia, with a planned capacity of 205 MW, aimed at the Colombian oil group's energy self-consumption.