The proposed Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal will require specialist port infrastructure to accommodate the size and weight of the large offshore wind components.
Port of Hastings is located to the southeast of Melbourne, approximately 72km from Melbourne Central Business District (CBD). The Terminal is proposed at the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area (OTRA), and the adjacent marine waters within the port precinct.
The OTRA site borders the Western Port Ramsar site, an area identified to be of international importance, particularly to waterfowl habitat. The Ramsar site extends across the Western Port area which is connected to Bass Strait by a wide channel between Flinders and Phillip Island, and a narrow channel between San Remo and Phillip Island.
The proposed Terminal project area (excluding utilities surrounding the site) includes:
Key landside components that make up the Terminal Project are described below:
The Operational Area will accommodate the transport, assembly and storage of large numbers of turbine components.
In addition, there will be warehousing, offices, car parks, and other ancillary facilities on site.
The Quay Apron is the area between the Operational Area and the Berth Pocket and would be subjected to very large loads from the loading and unloading of offshore wind components to and from ships and from the assembly of turbine towers.
The loading and unloading of offshore wind components will be facilitated by either cranes located directly on the Quay Apron, or the components would be driven off ships by Self-Propelled Modular Transport vehicles (SPMTs). The Quay Apron will be approximately 600m long and 80m wide.
The key marine components that make up the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal Project are described below:
The Quay Wall is a retaining structure that would be designed to support the reclamation land and provide berths to ships.
A berth pocket is required to allow ships to moor at all states of tide. A stone bed on the seabed is required in part of the berth pocket to support the legs of jack up vessels during lifting operations at the Terminal.
