Portland offshore wind farm project a decade away

Skyborn managing director Mirjam Tome said Europe has had offshore windfarms for more than 25 years and they were used to it, but it was something new for Australians.

"I would suspect there was that angst 25 years ago but it has just become normal over there," she said.

Ms Tome said it would be early 2030s before the Cape Winds Offshore Windfarm was operational but the company had "great faith" in the Australian market.

"This will definitely will come off the ground. It might be a bit later than everyone anticipates," she said.

The nearest turbine - which would be fixed to the sea floor - would be about 10 kilometres offshore.

Located between Nelson and Portland, Ms Tome said it would not be visible from roads and wouldn't be as "in your face" as onshore turbines.

But how visible the large 18 to 20 MW turbines would be from the shore was dependent on weather.

"If it's a very clear day you can see them more clear, if it's hazy and overcast they blend in with the background," she said.

The Discovery Bay windfarm is one of three Skyborn has in the pipeline for Australia with one near Bunbury in Western Australia and another planned for Kingston in South Australia.

The company also operates three in Germany, and has three under construction - two in France and one in Taiwan.

Ms Tome said the company would work with other windfarm companies to have designated connection point to run its sea cable into to avoid the "spaghetti" transmission lines.

"We are really keen to work with the community," Ms Tome said.

"Once we have been awarded a feasibility licence, we are keen to set up a community reference group as a key feedback mechanism for the community."

Opponents of offshore wind farms have raised concerns about the impact on marine life and the fishing industry.

Ms Tome said every country had different regulations around offshore wind farms, and Australia still needed to set theirs so that companies could co-exist with the fishing industry.

She said the impact on whales, marine life and birds was subject to environmental studies and regulatory approvals.

"We take this very seriously," she said. "Whale migration will be a key focus of the study."

Ms Tome said the company was still in the process of working through the supply chain and logistics to determine which ports were suitable for use.

"We obviously want to make use of the Port of Portland as much as possible," she said.

With no port in Australia that can facilitate large-scale offshore windfarms, the state government this week announced $27 million to help develop a renewable energy terminal off the Port of Hastings.

Ms Tome said Australia was competing with the European and US market, and there was a "scarcity" of vessels needed for offshore wind projects.

"Having vessels in Australia would certainly be useful," she said.

Ms Tome said Skyborn would work with other offshore wind farm proponents in the area to shore up supply chains for the Australian market.

She said offshore wind would bring more stability to the electricity grid than onshore wind.

"It delivers at scale. You have large volumes out there and you can make up for some of the coal-fired power stations that are coming off," Ms Tome said.

"You still need a base load and Australia still needs to have a solution to the base load."

The federal government has been consulting over a proposed wind zone from Warrnambool to Port Macdonnell in South Australia.

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