New research explores climate risks for growing offshore wind industry
As Australia accelerates the development of offshore wind energy, new research is highlighting the need to prepare for a changing climate with potentially more intense storms which is relevant to offshore infrastructure.
Federation University Australia climate scientist Associate Professor Savin Chand will present the findings at the Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy (ACOWE) Technical Symposium, to be held at Federation University's Gippsland Campus on 20 August.
Following the Gippsland New Energy Conference earlier in the week, the symposium will bring together researchers, industry, government and key stakeholders to explore the theme Delivering the Offshore Wind Lifecycle in Australia.
Associate Professor Chand's research examines how climate change will alter the extreme weather events that pose the greatest risk to Australia's offshore and coastal infrastructure, including tropical cyclones, East Coast Lows and severe thunderstorms.
While tropical cyclones and East Coast Lows are projected to become less frequent overall, the hazards they create are not expected to decrease. Warmer oceans and increased atmospheric moisture contributes to more intense rainfall and a greater impact of severe storms, while rising sea levels could worsen storm surge, coastal inundation and erosion.
The research highlights the need for future offshore wind developments to account for the possibility of fewer but more intense extreme weather events, pointing to the need to incorporate future climate conditions into the design, planning and long-term operations of offshore infrastructure.
Associate Professor Chand said understanding how these risks change over the lifetime of offshore wind projects was increasingly important as the sector grows.
"Australia is investing heavily in offshore renewable energy, but the climate these projects will operate in over the next 30 to 50 years won't be the same as the climate we've experienced in the past,” he said.
"The research shows that fewer storms don’t necessarily mean lower risk. The most damaging events may become more intense, and infrastructure needs to be designed with those future conditions in mind.”
"Understanding how extreme winds are changing today will help us build offshore wind farms that remain safe, reliable and resilient for decades to come."
As a founding member of ACOWE, the symposium builds on Federation’s broader work in the energy transition through its Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre (APRETC). The Centre connects expertise across research, higher education and TAFE with industry and other stakeholders working across offshore and onshore wind.
Associate Professor Chand will be among several Federation University experts contributing to the symposium, alongside Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean Iven Mareels, Director of Engagement and Innovation Professor Andrew O’Loughlin and Environmental Science Principal Research Fellow Jess Reeves.
Established in 2024, ACOWE is a national research and training partnership supporting the sustainable development of Australia's offshore wind sector.
Federation University is one of six founding university partners, alongside the University of Melbourne, University of Wollongong, University of Newcastle, University of Western Australia and Deakin University.
Through ACOWE, researchers and industry are working together across disciplines to address the technical, environmental and workforce challenges associated with Australia's emerging offshore wind industry.
For more information on ACOWE, visit https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/acowe