Learn more about the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal
Port infrastructure is vital for achieving Victoria’s offshore wind energy generation targets and achieving net zero emissions by 2045. There is currently no port in Victoria that can facilitate offshore wind assembly. The development of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal at the Port of Hastings is critical to enabling the offshore wind industry and powering Victoria’s future energy needs.
Offshore wind assembly ports need to be designed specifically for the turbine components. The components of an offshore windfarm are incredibly large and heavy and are unable to be transported on existing roads. Port infrastructure is crucial to supporting the unique and challenging demands of offshore wind projects through receiving, assembly, and transportation of components out to sea.
Offshore wind ports require large areas of heavy-duty pavements adjacent to berths, and adequate channel capacity to manage specialist vessel movements.
The Victorian Government has selected the Port of Hastings as the preferred site for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal.
This is based on attributes that make it an ideal location for developing an offshore wind assembly port:
The establishment of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal at the Port of Hastings will provide the critical port capacity required to achieve Victoria’s ambitious offshore wind energy targets.
The terminal will be built at the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area( OTRA) and the adjacent marine waters, which is located within the existing port and industrial zone.
It will be equipped for the receival, assembly and installation of offshore wind foundations, towers and turbines as a multi-user facility, with berthing facilities, heavy duty pavements and major supporting infrastructure.
The OTRA site will require ground improvement works, and reclamation of a section of the adjacent seabed to provide access to the existing shipping channel.
Administration, maintenance and warehouse buildings will also be constructed for storage purposes.
The size and design of the Terminal will be determined throughout the development of the project, but is anticipated to be approximately 40 hectares
The Terminal will act as a dedicated assembly port to receive, store, assemble and transport offshore wind components.
Commercial vessels will deliver the components to the Terminal where they will be unloaded and stored. Specialised installation vessels will then receive the components and transport them to the offshore wind zones for installation.
Some components, including the towers, will be assembled at the Terminal before being loaded onto the installation vessels.
Wind at sea is stronger and more consistent when compared to land. Analysis of the wind profiles offshore from Victoria demonstrates we have some of the best offshore wind resources in the world.
For more information on the benefits of offshore wind, visit Offshore Wind Energy Victoria at: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/offshore-wind-energy
In April 2025, the Victorian Government released its Offshore Wind Implementation Statement 4, providing an update on the government’s plans for the establishment of an OSW industry. Victoria has set ambitious targets of 2GW of OSW generation by 2032, 4 GW of OSW capacity by 2035 and 9 GW by 2040.
For more information about Victoria’s developing offshore wind sector, visit Offshore Wind Energy Victoria.
The Port of Hastings is the Victorian Government’s preferred location for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal.
Since the Commonwealth’s decision on the 2023 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC Act) referral, PoHC has been making substantial modifications to the project design to directly address the issues flagged by the Commonwealth Government in their statement of reasons following their decision on the EPBC referral.
PoHC have undertaken additional surveys and technical studies that have provided an in-depth technical understanding of the site and surrounding environment.
This extensive work has informed the modifications to the project design.
The project design has been substantially refined since the 2023 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC Act) referral.
Extensive environmental and technical investigations have provided more detailed data about the surrounding areas, and this has improved the design and construction methodology resulting in a significant reduction in dredging and land reclamation in the Ramsar wetlands.
Dredging will be required to facilitate the arrival and departure of offshore wind supply and installation vessels. The amount and final extents of dredging will be determined throughout the design phase of the project.
Based on the current design options, the extent of dredging has been reduced by approximately 70% compared to the previous EPBC referral submitted in 2023.
The project design is still subject to further design changes, however Port of Hastings Corporation (PoHC) recognises the importance of reducing dredging to only key areas.
Based on the current design options, reclamation has been reduced by approximately 35% compared to the previous EPBC referral submitted in 2023.
The percentage of the reclamation reduction will be dependent on the final design and construction methodology.
The Victorian Planning Minister determined an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal in 2023.
An EES is required for a project when it is likely to have significant environmental impacts at a regional or state level that need to be examined through an integrated and transparent process, before any statutory decision can be made.
In the case of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal, an EES is required as the project is being built in an area of environmental significance, and must carefully consider how impacts can be managed, avoided and mitigated.
This will occur through the development of an EES.
The EES is Victoria’s most rigorous environmental assessment process.
Currently, over 20 environmental studies are underway, collecting data across the site and the wider Western Port wetland area to provide a science-based impact assessment for the project and the updated design.
To date, the assessments have shown no material impacts, and this work will continue throughout the full Environment Effects Statement process.
Before construction can commence, the Terminal is subject to a comprehensive Environment Effects Statement (EES) process. If approved, construction of the Terminal could commence in 2027, subject to the necessary approvals.
The Terminal is anticipated to be operational by the end of the decade, subject to the necessary approvals.
