This funding will progress the environmental effects statement (EES) process for the first heavy-duty port of its kind in Australia.

This would allow companies to be able to assemble turbines before taking them offshore to install.

The Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal is going through a full EES process, including community consultation.

Following planning approvals and environmental assessments, works can then proceed.

Victoria already has the lowest wholesale electricity prices in the country because of renewable energy. Harnessing Gippsland’s offshore wind resource has the potential to keep pushing prices down as our old coal fire power stations close. It will also make sure Gippsland remains the powerhouse of Victoria’s energy production for decades to come.

The auction for the first GW of offshore wind energy will open in August 2026, enough energy to power 1.5?million homes.

At its peak, the offshore industry is expected to create over 2370 jobs and generate billions in investment.

Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, said: “We are investing in the technical and environmental assessments at the Port of Hastings to ensure that we are protecting the Ramsar listed wetlands and have ensured that we are on the best footing to successfully meet the EES criteria.”

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global’s Spring 2026 issue

The first issue of 2026 is here! The Spring issue starts with a report about price cannibalisation, and the effects on the renewable energy industry before moving on to articles on topics including electrical infrastructure, solar optimisation, and site surveys and mapping, with contributors from industry leaders such as CESI SpA, APEM Group, North Star, and more – don’t miss out!

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/05052026/victoria-government-to-invest-in-offshore-wind-terminal/