The Port of Hastings is set to play a key role in supporting Victoria's transition to a clean energy future through the establishment of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal.
The Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal is a proposed dedicated assembly port that will enable the import, storage and assembly of offshore wind components, to support offshore wind farms across Victoria.
The Terminal will be developed at the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area (OTRA), and the adjacent marine waters within the port precinct and between Esso’s Long Island Point liquid berth and BlueScope Steel wharves.
The OTRA site was created from material which was dredged during the extension of the shipping channel more than 50 years ago.
The site is managed by the Port of Hastings Corporation, is not publicly accessible and is reserved for port purposes.
Offshore wind turbines are significantly larger than onshore turbines and the components are extremely heavy. Components like blades and towers cannot be transported by road or rail due to their size, and so a dedicated port is required to receive them before they are prepared for transportation to the offshore windfarms.
Offshore wind ports need heavy-duty pavements able to withstand the components, as well as large areas of available land close to a deep water channel to receive, store and assemble them. There is currently no port in Victoria suitable to support offshore wind.
The development of suitable port facilities is therefore critical to achieving the Victorian Government's ambitious offshore wind targets.
The proposed Terminal will include the construction of a new wharf and berths, and ground improvement works to prepare the site to receive, store and load offshore wind components before their installation in offshore wind farms along the Victorian coast.
Construction of the Terminal will include dredging, reclamation, ground improvement and berthing facilities.
The site would also include buildings for administration, maintenance and storage purposes.
Image: Aerial photo of the Old Tyabb Reclaimation Area (OTRA) site.
The Port of Hastings Corporation will develop the project in consultation with Traditional Owners, communities and industry and through comprehensive assessments that recognise the important environmental, community and heritage values of Western Port.
Ports are essential for offshore wind assembly due to several logistical and operational reasons:
Offshore wind turbines are large structures, with blades, towers, and nacelles (containing the generator and gearbox) that are typically manufactured at different locations. A port provides a central location for receiving, storing, and transporting these components to the offshore wind farms.
Ports serve as bases for assembling turbine components. This includes assembling tower sections, and integrating other components before transporting them to the offshore wind farms. This process requires ample space and infrastructure, which ports are equipped to provide.
Specialised vessels equipped to transport and install offshore wind components require deep-water access and infrastructure such as heavy lift cranes.
The Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal is critical to achieving Victoria's ambitious offshore wind targets.
It will provide the necessary infrastructure, space and logistical support to manage the transportation, assembly and installation of offshore wind components in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
The Port of Hastings is located on the shores of Western Port, approximately 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. It is one of four major working commercial trading ports operating in Victoria, and has been operating for close to 60 years.
The Port of Hastings facilities include:
The Port of Hastings' current trade groups include import/export of oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), steel and unleaded petrol (ULP).
The offshore wind industry presents an opportunity to open a new chapter in the history of the Port, one that will see the Port of Hastings at the heart of Victoria's drive to reach net zero emissions while providing the State's transport network with enduring benefits beyond offshore wind projects.
