Equinor and Oceanex Energy secure wind farm feasibility licence

The project will power over a million homes.

Novocastrian Wind Pty. Ltd., a partnership between Equinor and Oceanex Energy, has received the feasibility licence for their planned offshore wind farm project for the Hunter offshore wind area.

“The feasibility licence is granted for up to seven years and Novocastrian Wind must use this time to obtain all necessary approvals, including working through environmental assessments and approvals, before it can apply for a commercial licence to allow construction to begin,” the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said.

The Novocastrian wind farm is located around  22 kilometres off the coast of the Hunter and is projected to generate two gigawatts of renewable electricity that can power more than a million homes.

The department said the project is required to consult further with the community and undertake environmental assessments as part of the feasibility studies supporting the project. Relevant parties should also consult with the fishing industry and avoid, mitigate and offset any impacts on fishing.