The Allan Labor Government is cementing Victoria as an international leader in renewable energy with Melbourne set to host the Global Wind Energy Council's Asia Pacific Wind Energy Summit.
Minister for Tourism Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos and Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio today announced the APAC Wind Energy Summit will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in July 2025.
The three day summit brings international industry leaders, policymakers and global investors to Victoria - the home of Australia's first offshore wind generation industry.
Following a successful inaugural event in Melbourne in 2023 and a second edition this year in South Korea, the third conference will provide a platform to drive discussion regarding the growth of wind energy across the Asia Pacific.
Businesses will play a strong role in supporting the delivery of the offshore wind industry which will be key to the state's renewable energy transition and meeting the legislated targets of at least 2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy generation by 2032, 4 GW by 2035 and 9 GW by 2040.
The state is also leading the way in accelerating the deployment of offshore wind power - announcing at the 2023 summit that Victoria was the first subnational government in the world to join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance.
Offshore wind is critical to helping Victoria reach net zero emissions by 2045 and is expected to create over 6,000 jobs and generate billions in investment. Victoria will release an Expression of Interest for the state's first offshore wind energy auction by the end of the year, an important next step in building the first offshore wind farm in the country.
The conference will also boost the state's economy, with 1500 delegates staying at local hotels and enjoying the best of Victoria's hospitality sector, delivering an estimated economic contribution of $5.8 million.
Business events like the summit continue to make a significant contribution to the Victoria's economy - in the last financial year, Melbourne Convention Bureau delivered 213 business events and secured 215 future business events which are forecast to deliver $252 million in economic benefit.
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio
"Victoria has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world and we've done the groundwork to become the home of the country's first offshore wind industry which is attracting significant investment from all over the world."
As stated by Minister for Tourism Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"We are proud to support this summit which plays a strong role in boosting our economy and bringing together people who share our vision for taking strong action against climate change."
As stated by Julia Swanson Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO
"We're pleased to have secured this prestigious business event once more for Melbourne, highlighting the crucial role business events play in supporting Victoria's commitment to sustainability and leadership in this sector, as well as strong collaboration with government and industry partners."
