- Ocean Winds begins its first Australian offshore wind and metocean campaign, gathering critical field data for the 1.3 GW High Sea Wind project in Victoria.
- The campaign underpins turbine selection, environmental approvals, grid planning, and investor confidence for one of Australia’s largest proposed offshore wind projects.
- High Sea Wind is expected to power up to one million Victorian homes annually and avoid up to 5.3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
Ocean Winds has launched its first offshore wind and metocean measurement campaign in Australia, marking a decisive step forward for the High Sea Wind project off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria. The campaign signals the transition from planning to data-led development for a project positioned to play a material role in Australia’s emerging offshore wind sector.
The initiative is being conducted in partnership with TGS, a global provider of energy data and intelligence, and focuses on collecting high-quality wind, wave, current, and environmental data within the High Sea Wind feasibility licence area. At the centre of the campaign is an EOLOS floating LiDAR buoy fitted with advanced sensors designed to capture real-world offshore conditions.
Data collected through the buoy will be quality-controlled and delivered daily, providing project partners and stakeholders with consistent, transparent insights. This information will feed directly into turbine selection, foundation design, environmental impact assessments, and grid connection planning.
Strengthening Project Design And Stakeholder Confidence
Ocean Winds has framed the campaign as a foundation for responsible offshore wind development rather than a procedural requirement. Accurate metocean data is widely regarded as a critical risk-reduction tool for offshore wind projects, shaping everything from capital expenditure assumptions to long-term performance forecasts.
By collecting site-specific data in Gippsland waters, Ocean Winds aims to reduce uncertainty for investors and regulators while building confidence among local communities and supply chain partners. The company has positioned transparency as a core outcome of the campaign, noting that reliable field data supports clearer communication with policymakers and regional stakeholders.
The dataset generated through the campaign will also support environmental assessments, a key step in securing approvals for large-scale offshore wind projects in Australia’s newly established regulatory framework.
Local Economic And Supply Chain Implications
Beyond technical design, Ocean Winds has linked the campaign to broader regional development goals. The High Sea Wind project is expected to support the growth of a domestic offshore wind supply chain, opening opportunities for local businesses across marine services, logistics, fabrication, and operations.
By grounding project decisions in verified offshore data, the developer aims to align long-term investment with regional capabilities in Gippsland and across Victoria. This approach reflects a growing emphasis among offshore wind developers on integrating local economic participation into project planning from the earliest stages.
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Executive Perspective
Pelayo Rodriguez Alonso, Head of Business Development APAC for Ocean Winds, emphasised the strategic importance of the campaign in shaping both project outcomes and stakeholder relationships.
“At Ocean Winds, we believe robust data is the foundation of responsible offshore wind development. Through High Sea Wind, we are committed to delivering insights that empower communities, inform investment, and accelerate Australia’s journey toward a sustainable energy future,” he said.
The company has described energy intelligence as a central pillar of its offshore wind strategy in Australia, with the campaign reinforcing its long-term commitment to the market.
Scale And Climate Significance
The High Sea Wind project is planned at 1.3 GW, placing it among the largest offshore wind proposals in Australia. Once operational, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately one million Victorian households each year. Ocean Winds estimates the project could prevent up to 5.3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, contributing materially to state and national decarbonisation targets.
As Australia moves from offshore wind policy design to execution, campaigns such as this one illustrate how developers are translating ambition into bankable, data-backed projects. For governments, investors, and supply chain participants, the High Sea Wind measurement campaign represents an early but critical signal that large-scale offshore wind in Australia is entering a more concrete phase of development with measurable regional and global implications.
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