Plans are afoot to build Australia’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Victoria.

Project leaders Offshore Energy, a Melbourne-based clean power firm, says it has entered into a partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) to work on plans for an $8 billion, 250-turbine, 2,000MW offshore wind farm.

The project, dubbed Star of the South, was first outlined at a state government New Energy Technology Roundtable in June.

CIP will do deeper investigations of the proposed site for the offshore wind farm, around 10 to 25 km off the Victorian coast in the Bass Strait.

“Offshore Energy is delighted to partner with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, one of the leading offshore wind developers in the world, to develop Australia’s first offshore wind farm,” Offshore Energy CEO Andy Evans said in a statement on Friday.

“The partnership brings together local knowledge and proven international experience that we believe will deliver many benefits for Australia, Victoria and local communities.”

CIP says it is a “unique opportunity”.

“We are very satisfied with this partnership, and look forward to contributing our competence and experience in cooperation with Offshore Energy, all levels of Government and key stakeholders in the development of the first offshore wind project in Australia”, said CIP senior partner, Torsten Lodberg Smed.

The proposed site is strategically located near existing transmission infrastructure in the Latrobe Valley, though a grid connection would require undersea cabling.

Mr Evans said offshore wind has the benefit of potentially high capacities and more constant generation.

“When placed in the right wind conditions like those off the coast of Gippsland, offshore wind delivers a high, consistent flow of electricity,” he said.