Copenhagen Energy: December 2022 Update

Copenhagen Energy Talking To Communities

Copenhagen Energy is continuing to engage with a range of stakeholders as it develops plans for four offshore wind farms in Western Australia.

Three of its projects – the Leeuwin, Midwest, and Samphire offshore wind farms – have been submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for initial assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).

Each project comprises substation platforms and up to 200 turbines in Commonwealth waters delivering 3GW of renewable electricity, enough to power three million homes and businesses, for up to 50 years.

The Leeuwin and Samphire assessments have been set at Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and Midwest at Public Environmental Review (PER).

A PER requires a higher level of community engagement and public commentary and Copenhagen Energy has committed to applying the same standard to all its projects.

A fourth project, Velella Offshore Wind Farm, is still in development and yet to be submitted to DCCEEW for assessment.

Copenhagen Energy Chief Executive Officer Jasmin Bejdic said the company was committed to ongoing and meaningful engagement with all stakeholders, including the communities in which the wind farms will operate.

“The development of offshore wind farms in WA has the potential to deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits, but we understand there are concerns and uncertainties among stakeholders,” Jasmin said.

“We want to develop the best projects possible, including for the local communities.

“Our stakeholder engagement so far has involved many community groups including recreational anglers, tourism businesses, local councils and development associations to get a very clear understanding of what’s important.

“We have received very positive feedback not only for our projects — in Commonwealth waters with no near-shore turbines — but for the way we have explained our plans and listened to stakeholders.

“As we progress our plans our stakeholder engagement will increase.”

Jasmin said Copenhagen Energy was ready to progress its projects in line with State and Federal Government requirements.

The Federal Government has identified a Perth/Bunbury region for possible offshore wind farms but is yet to provide detail on the extent of the area.

“Our Leeuwin project is ideally located to connect to the South West Interconnected System to supply major industrial and residential users and is within a possible Bunbury region,” Jasmin said.

“It is the most advanced of our projects in terms of stakeholder engagement.”

Separately, DCCEEW is working on a range of guides to support developers with assessing the potential impacts of new offshore wind developments on the environment.

Its first document released in November outlines requirements to be met when developing baseline studies and undertaking impact assessments related to offshore wind impacts on birds.

Copenhagen Energy will adhere to these new guidelines when undertaking our EIS/PER assessments as required to obtain an EPBC Act approval for our projects.

WA Government Launches Green Energy Assessment Unit

The WA Government has taken a significant step in supporting renewable energy projects with its announcement of a Green Energy Assessment Unit to streamline approvals.

In a statement announcing $22.5 million to help streamline approvals for green energy proposals, Premier Mark McGowan said WA was on the cusp of becoming a global green energy superpower.

The new multi-pronged approach is designed to help drive investment in conventional wind, solar and wave power generators, hydrogen industries, lithium mining and critical minerals processing, and green energy product manufacturing.

A new dedicated cross-government Green Energy Assessment Unit will be established within the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, requiring State Government agencies to work together to develop clear assessment pathways.

A Green Energy Major Projects Group will also be set up to help steer individual projects through government processes.

Copenhagen Energy Development Manager Australia, Joy Francis-Hayes, said the announcement showed the State Government’s commitment to developing an integrated renewable energy sector in WA and was good news for proponents and investors.

“It’s also important to note that the streamlined approach will still continue to protect the environment,” said Joy, a marine scientist with 20 years’ experience in the assessment and management of coastal and marine developments.

“Proponents and investors in the renewable energy sector, particularly offshore wind which is in its infancy in Australia, are looking to governments to provide clear indications of their support.

“With proposals for four offshore wind farms in Commonwealth waters off WA, Copenhagen Energy welcomes this initiative.

“I look forward to positive engagement with the Green Energy Assessment Unit and the major projects group as we progress our projects.”

Full Feasibility Study into Wind Turbine Manufacturing

The West Australian Government has commissioned a full feasibility study into the manufacture of wind turbine components in WA.

In a statement, the Government said a 2021 study recommended action to progress wind turbine manufacturing, including developing a detailed approach for Government trading enterprises in the energy sector such as Synergy, Horizon, and Western Power. The study identified that Government investment and financial assistance was critical to transition WA businesses to wind turbine component manufacturing.

The full feasibility study is the next step of the State Government's $10 million Wind Turbine Manufacturing Initiative to further support and facilitate local wind turbine manufacturing and will verify opportunities for WA businesses and identify requirements for a potential manufacturing hub, including suitable industrial land.

Consultants Aurecon will consult with industry and supply chain participants to verify and scope current and future demand requirements, industry participation, logistics requirements, and supply chain capacity in WA.

State Development, Jobs, and Trade Minister Roger Cook said growing the State’s capacity to manufacture components locally would help improve the efficiency of serving this vital green infrastructure and create new export opportunities.

Copenhagen Energy Chief Executive Officer Jasmin Bejdic welcomed the State Government announcement, saying manufacturing wind turbine components was an example of the skills needed to support the offshore energy sector.

“Studies have indicated that about 14,500 jobs are created during construction for every 1GW of power,” Jasmin said.

“New support industries will be needed during operation and maintenance.”

LETs Pitch in with Clean Energy Ideas

Copenhagen Energy’s Development Manager Australia, Joy Francis-Hayes, is part of a judging panel to support National Energy Resources Australia’s (NERA) search for novel and scalable clean energy technology solutions that can help Australia transition to a net-zero future.

LETs (Low Emissions Technologies) Pitch is a supply chain development program designed to accelerate the growth of local businesses offering cutting-edge clean tech solutions.

As part of LETs Pitch Australia 2023, eight companies will be selected to receive tailored pitch mentoring and business coaching to build their pitching capability and prepare them for a live pitch event in March 2023.

The pitch event will be held live on stage at the Industry Supply Forum, on the opening day of AOG Energy 2023, in front of a panel of industry judges and an audience from major operators, government and industry.

The eight finalists will then join the NERA Technology Discovery Centre stand on day two of AOG Energy 2023, each with their own pod, providing each finalist space on NERA’s stand to showcase their business and technology and meet potential investors and buyers from leading energy companies.

The LETs Pitch Australia 2023 judging panel includes experts with a wealth of experience and knowledge in marine, engineering, infrastructure, carbon capture, gas, and the environment.

Joy is a marine scientist with 20 years’ experience in coastal and marine developments in a wide variety of industries including oil and gas, mining, public utilities, and renewables and has worked on assessed projects across the globe including in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Torres Strait, New Caledonia, Singapore, and Brazil.

The other judges are Pollination CleanTech and Project Investments Director Sam Bruce; Woodside Vice President New Energy Solutions Jason Crusan; ATCO General Manager Hydrogen and Future Fuels Russell James; Future Energy Exports CRC Managing Director Professor Eric May; and Shell Australia Environment and Carbon Manager Lisa Robson.

The Expression of Interest stage for LETs Pitch Australia 2023 closes on 29 January.

Offshore Energy Leaders in Inaugural Meeting

Copenhagen Energy was among a group of offshore energy representatives to attend the inaugural meeting of companies and agencies involved in the emerging energy sector in Australia.

The Offshore Infrastructure Regulator, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, and the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner jointly convened the meeting of senior industry and government representatives in October.

Copenhagen Energy’s Development Manager Australia, Joy Francis-Hayes, was among key industry leaders, representative bodies and government authorities with interests and responsibilities in the offshore renewables sector to take part.

The forum provided an opportunity for government and industry representatives to discuss the current state of play for offshore renewables and examine opportunities for collaboration and coordination on matters of mutual interest.

Key policy updates were shared including strengthened legislated targets for emissions reduction.

Participants were informed of priority government work programs, timelines for identification and declaration of future offshore areas, progress of regulatory and policy development and complementary initiatives underway to enable further establishment of the industry.

There were insights from recent international forums in which Australia is represented including the Global Offshore Wind Regulators Forum and the International Regulators Forum.

Established jurisdictions are looking at Australia’s new regulatory framework as an innovative and progressive approach to licensing of offshore renewables projects.

Australia is in a fortunate position to leverage the experiences of leading and emerging international jurisdictions in designing and implementing policy and regulatory approaches.

Success for Copenhagen Energy's Global Portfolio

Copenhagen Energy and PetroGreen Energy have joined forces to develop three offshore wind farms in the Philippines.

The wind farms, with a combined capacity of about 4GW, form part of Copenhagen Energy’s international portfolio of projects that includes Australia, Italy, Ireland, and Denmark.

The Philippines Government is aiming to add at least 29GW of renewable energy to its energy mix by 2040 to reach 50 per cent renewables.

The wind farms, which could deliver power from 2027, will be developed in the north, southwest, and central archipelago.

In Ireland, Copenhagen Energy is working with McMahon Design and Management through Ivernia Energy Ltd to develop a pipeline of seven projects totalling 8GW of offshore wind.

In Italy, the company is developing a floating offshore wind project off the coast of Sardinia with the potential capacity of at least 3GW.

In Denmark, it recently announced the divestment of its share of the Frederikshavn Offshore Wind Farm development project. The project comprises three of the world’s largest wind turbines, with a tip height of 265m and capacity of 15MW.

It is an advanced test project with a total aggregated capacity of 45MW, with room to install another two turbines to achieve 72MW. Construction approval has been granted for the project.

Copenhagen Energy Chief Executive Officer Jasmin Bejdic developed the project from the beginning and played a significant role in it being construction ready.

“Our other global projects will benefit from the experience we have gained with Frederikshavn in using the newest offshore wind technology,” Jasmin said.