Australis Energy today announced that wpd offshore Australia (wpd), part of wpd group, and Australis have entered into a 50:50 joint venture for the three offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Australia originated by Australis over recent years. The projects are located in the coastal waters of the states of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, with a planned total installed capacity of 1.4 GW. With the joint venture partner now secured, the projects can be successfully taken through the next phases of project planning.

As one of the pioneers of offshore wind energy in Europe, wpd has also established a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) with successful project developments and local teams in markets such as Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. Among others, wpd is currently implementing the 640 MW Yunlin project in Taiwan, which will be one of the largest offshore wind projects in the APAC region once completed. In Australia, wpd has established its subsidiary wpd offshore Australia Pty Ltd. and is currently expanding its local development team.

The investment by wpd will also facilitate the further development of the Australis offshore wind project portfolio in adjacent commonwealth waters.

Commenting on the news, Mark Petterson, Chairman of Australis said:
“We are delighted to welcome wpd into all three of our existing projects. They bring extra funding and expertise that will ensure the projects continue to make great progress and enhance Australia’s renewable energy production at the earliest opportunity."

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