Offshore wind tour provides valuable insights

A Federation University Australia delegation has toured one of the most modern offshore wind areas in the world to glean valuable insights into their operations and training needs as Victoria gears up to develop its own offshore wind industry.

Federation University Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Innovation, Professor Iven Mareels and Federation TAFE electrotechnology graduate Mia Danko, who aspires to be an electrician in the renewable energy sector, visited offshore windfarms in Taiwan during the four-day tour in May.

The tour was hosted by the Royal Danish Embassy in Canberra, with sponsorship from Danish company Ørsted, Federation University and the National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan.

The delegation toured Ørsted’s Taichung operations and maintenance hub and port facilities that are supporting the operation of a 900 MW offshore wind farm in the Taiwan Strait, along with other Danish facilities in Taiwan.

Professor Mareels said the visit showcased Taiwan’s success built on strong government leadership, long-term planning, and a commitment to collaboration between government, industry, and community.

“We’re looking at a long horizon of planning for the next 50-60 years to ensure industry has the talented workforce they need,” Professor Mareels said.

“We want to train the next generation of renewable energy workers to offer them a meaningful career and give them the opportunity to grow in that career and we should start that now.”

The trip builds on the work of Federation University’s Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre (APRETC), launched in 2021, which is being established as a central hub for the delivery of renewable energy training and research.

APRETC is certified by the Global Wind Organisation and is the first facility in Australia to provide specialist training from a 20-metre-high replica wind tower at Federation’s Mt Helen campus, while in Gippsland, APRETC will provide training, education and research to support renewable technologies including hydrogen, geothermal, wind, and solar, along with the transmission, storage and social licence for renewable projects.

“The visit to Taiwan has certainly given me encouragement that we’re doing important work and there’s still a lot of work to be done in Australia,” Professor Mareels concluded.

Ørsted’s Project Development Director Albert Quan said he was thrilled to show the facilities to the delegates, providing a taste of what an offshore wind farm base may look like for Gippsland and the types of jobs needed for offshore wind.

“The Taichung operations and maintenance base employs more than 80 local people in roles that vary from administration, marine traffic control, grid control and monitoring, engineering, QHSE, IT, facility, and logistics,” Mr Quan said

“We've found that taking a local approach works for us, and it's something we'd like to replicate in Gippsland.”

Electrotechnology graduate and aspiring electrician Mia Danko said she wanted to be a part of the transition towards renewable energy.

“It was incredible to get to see the technology they’re using in Taiwan,” Mia said.

“My adventurous side wants to be a wind technician because I think it would be exciting, but in a bigger picture way, I want to be part of the change in the world and push towards renewables.”

For more information about APRETC, visit https://federation.edu.au/apretc