A Copenhagen Energy company
Leeuwin Offshore Wind
We seek to develop an offshore windfarm that will provide green electricity for West Australian homes and businesses, powered through the South West Interconnected System.
The Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm, if approved by the State and Federal authorities, will be located from 30 km off the coast of Binningup, Western Australia.
The exact location of the turbines has not yet been defined. This will be selected as a result of further technical and environmental assessments, aligned with stakeholder and community feedback.
An Introduction
Leeuwin Offshore Wind is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Copenhagen Energy, a Danish renewable energy developer with significant cumulative experience in delivering offshore and onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) developments in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and the Philippines.
We are proposing to develop, construct, operate, and decommission a world-class offshore wind farm in an area within Commonwealth waters about 130 km south of Perth between Mandurah and Bunbury.
Over the past few years, we have increased our public presence in the South West and Peel regions in order to accommodate to community needs and concerns. We will continue a wide range of offshore and onshore studies to better understand the potential impacts (environmental, social and economic) and will endeavor to get to know the local community in which we will be developing our windfarm.
The Project
About the Project
We are proposing to develop, construct, operate, and decommission a world-class offshore windfarm in an area within Commonwealth waters about 130 km south of Perth between Mandurah and Bunbury.
The wind farm will support Australia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent
by 2030, as well as the State Government’s target of enhanced climate resilience and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The windfarm will have up to 200 wind turbines within Commonwealth waters. The generated electricity will be brought onshore through State waters to be connected into the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
Once commissioned, the windfarm will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for up to 50 years.
Other Copenhagen Energy projects include:
Offshore wind is a significant opportunity
1: Study performed by Wind Denmark shows that 5,000 direct and 9,500 indirect jobs are created for every GW of offshore power
2: 610 g/kWh; AEMO – Source: www.aemo.com.au
Offshore wind
Offshore wind is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade and is one of the pillars towards a net-zero society.
Our research indicates that WA is facing a critical supply challenge where a major investment in network infrastructure is required for the South West Interconnecting System.
From 2020, renewables such as large-scale offshore windfarms to supplement both utility-scale and distributed energy needs have been discussed by organisations such as the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Leeuwin Offshore Wind is hoping to be part of the solution.
Why offshore?
Simply speaking, offshore wind projects can generate much more electricity with higher efficiency than typical onshore wind farms given the quality of Australia’s offshore wind resources. Over the past few decades, investment in offshore wind technology means it is now much less expensive to build offshore windfarms. The lower costs combined with better, more consistent resources and less potential to be impacted by onshore land use constraints makes it much more attractive to build a wind farm offshore.
When will it be ready?
A target to commence construction on the project will be identified once the Commonwealth Minister for Climate Change and Energy has announced the area as suitable for offshore renewable electricity infrastructure. This will be developed based on feedback from stakeholder consultations, results of environmental surveys and assessments, and timings required to obtain all necessary Commonwealth and State Government approvals.
Offshore wind is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade and is one of the pillars towards a net-zero society.
Our research indicates that Western Australia is at a critical supply challenge where major investment in its electricity network infrastructure is required for the South West Interconnecting System to meet the challenges of the energy transition. Our project provides opportunities to support such upgrades and facilitate development within the region.
From 2020, renewables such as large-scale offshore windfarms to supplement both utility-scale and distributed energy needs have been discussed by organizations such as the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Leeuwin Offshore Wind is hoping to be part of the solution.
What will it involve?
Construction of the wind farm will take approximately two years. Pile driving is one of the options to install wind turbine foundations, but we are looking at all construction options to minimise impacts. Onshore construction is a relatively simple process. To build the transmission lines will involve clearing land, trenching, and laying the transmission lines to the substation. It involves clearing the area, which is located on land that is already relatively clear. All vegetation will be restored once construction has been completed, and again at decommissioning.
CEO
Chairman
Development Manager, Australia
Investment Director
Sustainability and Approvals Manager
Finance Director
Project Manager
Project Engineer
Director of Trading
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Engagement
Media Manager
Meet the Team
Visionaries in
Renewable Energy
As it stands today, the Leeuwin Offshore Windfarm will be the biggest in the world in terms of power generation. We bring considerable experience working across environmentally sensitive areas in global project and we have a vision to help WA fast track its path to decarbonising and easing reliance on fossil fuels.
Reports developed all over the world are stressing the need to quickly reduce emissions to stop the impacts of climate change. We want to be part of this journey in helping Australia hit net-zero targets.
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Based on previous economic studies by Wind Denmark, we anticipate 14,500 jobs during construction. This includes 5,000 direct jobs and another 9,500 indirect jobs for every 1 GW of power.
During operation we expect the project to employ 200 as well as more indirect employment.
Our mission as a company will only be fulfilled when we have zero emissions globally and when the climate crisis is combatted.
Working with us means working toward a sustainable future. We understand that the Western Australian workforce has significant experience in heavy industry. This brings us confidence that you will have transferrable skills that we can draw from and train up.
We seek to support local businesses through direct and indirect contracts to build on the economic prosperity for the South West and Peel regions.
Sustainability
Health and Safety
The wind turbine industry generally has an excellent safety record. All personnel that will be employed directly or indirectly will require thorough training to ensure they are proactive about creating and maintaining a ‘zero injuries or harm’ safety culture. We will invest in safety equipment and practices and keep up to date with the latest industry practices and track our safety performance.
Environment
Protecting the natural environment and mitigating environmental impacts is central to our proposal. We will conduct thorough environmental impact studies and apply the most stringent mitigation applications to preserve the local marine and onshore environment. Wind is a green technology, engaged across the globe to mitigate adverse environmental effects of carbon emissions. Australia is seeking to engage in renewable energy sources, and this project could assist Australia meet its environmental targets through responsible energy practices.
In addition to engaging leading environmental scientists to undertake rigorous research to determine potential environmental impacts, we will also research opportunities for cost-effective innovation and development opportunities to minimize wildlife, marine and biological impacts.
Our stringent approach to environmental management will be required to meet statutory, regulatory and administrative requirements across both Australia’s State and Federal environmental agencies.
Quality Assurance
During engineering, construction and maintenance, Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm will implement a stringent Quality Management System, aligned IS09001. This will assist to monitor and assure conformance of facility installation with all applicable design, engineering and installation standards and criteria. ISO9001 represents a systematic management approach for planning, implementing, verifying, and documenting construction to ensure the project satisfies technical, administrative and quality objectives.
Fishing and offshore wind
Co-existing with local fishing activities
In other parts of the world, recreational and professional fishing activities and windfarms have co-existed.
As the turbines are 1-2 km apart, recreational fishers will be able to sail between the turbines, meaning we will not impede current boating activity once the turbines are fully operational.
For community and maritime safety, we will enact a small exclusion zone around each turbine and transfer station to avoid people trying to climb on the structures, which is extremely dangerous when not conducted in accordance with safety procedures.
There will also be small exclusion zones around individual turbines during construction in line with safety and maritime requirements.
We anticipate that over several years there will be marine growth on the turbine pylons which will attract various fish species and establish a new ecosystem similar to the Busselton Jetty.
We are committed to extensive consultation with recreational and professional fishing groups to gain feedback and insights as we determine the best locations for our turbines from 30 km offshore. It is our intention to do everything possible to ensure boating and fishing activities are not affected.
Approvals
Pioneering the offshore renewables approvals process
Leeuwin Offshore Wind seek to develop a project in harmony with local values, heritage and environment. The project will go through comprehensive Commonwealth and State environmental assessments before it can be approved and constructed. The primary aims of this process are to provide a detailed description of the project and to identify all potential environmental impacts. These assessments will also outline mitigation measures that will be taken to avoid or minimise these impacts. Throughout these processes we will encourage input from local communities to discuss their concerns and have a say on how the project is designed and implemented.
Offshore Licence
The project will also need to obtain a range of licences and approvals under the new Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021. The Australian Government is developing the regulatory framework to support the legislation. As the Government defines this process we will ensure that local communities and interested parties are kept informed.
Referral Submissions
Where are we at?
The Leeuwin Offshore Wind project was referred to the Australian Government (Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment) in February 2022 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This is a key piece of environmental legislation that provides protection of the environment, especially matters of national environmental significance. The Minister for the Environment assessed the project as a controlled action, to be assessed by an Environmental Impact Statement. The project will be referred to the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act) in due course.
Following these referral assessments by the Commonwealth and State Governments, the project will begin an extensive range of technical studies. These studies will be conducted by specialists within each field and designed to identify all potential environmental and social impacts for which commensurate management measures will be assigned. We welcome community input to these studies so that local concerns, interests and suggestions are considered.