Madrid-based BlueFloat Energy has withdrawn its recent detailed submission to the Federal Government to generate power using a large field of offshore wind turbines in the proposed Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone. The project was to be called the South Pacific Offshore Wind Project and can be viewed here.

This does not mean the proposal is dead, however, only that the proposal was submitted too early in the process as the company is yet to secure a feasibility license for the next seven years.

In a dramatic turn late on Tuesday 7 November 2023, BlueFloat suddenly decided to withdraw its submission.

BlueFloat submitted and referred a detailed proposal for review by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on Friday 3 November, 2023. The Minister would make an assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. BlueFloat said it expected such a large project would be ‘called in and declared a controlled project,’

The proposal was for 105 turbines off the Illawarra coast, located 14 to 30 kilometres off the coast and would cover an area of 359 square kilometres. The turbines would be up to  300 metres tall, from tip of the blade to sea level, making them possibly the tallest in the world currently proposed and 70 metres higher than previously anticipated.

BlueFloat is also submitting wind farms proposals for other renewable energy zones in South Australia, Victoria (known as Southern Winds) and in the Hunter region (known as Eastern Rise), and submitting for many other proposed projects around the world, and currently operates possibly five existing fields in Scotland, Wales and Spain however it is unclear which fields are fully operational.

There was also potential for controversy with the three proposed routes for transmission cables, under Lake Illawarra, Port Kembla and most controversially through locally beloved  Killalea Regional Park making landfall near Minnamurra and then north to Yallah near Dapto.

Further controversy erupted when an often quoted study about whale deaths in a locally published scientific journal, Marine Policy, in anti-wind farm groups was exposed as a complete fabrication by the editor Quentin Hanich on ABC Illawarra on 6 November, 2023.

Speaking to Melinda James on ABC Illawarra Breakfast on Tuesday, Environment Minister Chris Bowen expressed his utter surprise at the submission, declaring: “Where they are proposing may or may not be inside the zone I eventually declare. If it’s not, sorry, bad luck to them. They’ve wasted their money.”

When asked directly by Melinda James “Were you aware they were going to do this?”

Christ Bowen said “No.”

Events escalated quickly with BlueFloat CEO Nick Sandkey shortly afterwards issuing a statement where he said:

“BlueFloat Energy has reconsidered the timing of lodging the EPBC Act referral and at this time we have requested this be delayed.”

“We will await the formal declaration of the zone by the government, should that occur, and reconsider the timing moving forward with the environmental approval process at that point in time.”

“There is work you can do without a feasibility license. We’ve done a very preliminary analysis but we need to undertake detailed studies.”

CEO Nick Sandley admitted when interviewed by Renew Economy Australia about contact from the Federal Government post the submission release said: “We’ve had a few discussions.”

Unrest over the proposed renewable energy zone has broken out in the Illawarra community, which focuses on the visibility of wind turbines expected to be around 230 metres. An extra 70 metres would mean even higher visibility from homes along the coast, many along the Illawarra coast being between 10 metres and 80 metres above sea level meaning greater visibility of any object out to sea.

Pro wind group ‘Good for the Gong’ criticised BlueFloat Energy for jumping the gun.

Submitting plans and proposals at such an early stage undermines the necessary community consultation processes.”

Anti wind group Illawarra Coalition Against Offshore Wind said the plan was not appropriate at all for the Illawarra.