The Summit’s return follows the success of the inaugural event hosted in Melbourne in 2023, at that time called the Offshore Wind and Green Hydrogen Summit, during which Victoria announced it was the first subnational government in the world to join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), playing a lead role in accelerating the deployment of offshore wind power.
The 2025 Summit will build on this momentum and provide a multi-stakeholder platform aimed at accelerating the growth of wind energy across the region. The three-day summit from 16-18 September 2025 is expected to see more than 1,500 delegates convene at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and feature an exhibition open to the public.
The successful bid spearheaded by the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), in partnership with the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) and support from Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Program, demonstrates Victoria’s leadership and pivotal role in the Asia Pacific region’s energy transition.
Victoria is at the forefront of the renewable revolution, setting world-leading targets to cut greenhouse emissions and achieve net-zero emissions. This positions Melbourne as the hub of choice, closely aligning with the goals of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) members, who represent 99% of the world’s installed wind power capacity, including top turbine manufacturers, developers, suppliers, and service providers.
As the only Australian state with offshore wind targets, Victoria will soon be home to the country’s first offshore wind farms working towards net-zero emissions by 2045. Victoria has already made significant strides by cutting more emissions than any other Australian state, tripling the amount of renewable energy, and setting a renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035.
GWEC Chief Executive Ben Backwell said Melbourne was identified as the preferred host destination for the Summit due to its proven track record and commitment to renewable energy. “GWEC is delighted to bring the APAC Wind Energy Summit back to Melbourne. The state of Victoria is at the leading edge of Australia’s energy transition, and we are excited to bring the global wind industry together at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in 2025.”
The inaugural event in 2023 was a major moment in Australia’s energy transition, bringing industry, state and federal government and communities together to push the development of renewable energy in Australia forward. Australia continues to lead the development of wind energy in the APAC region, and we look forward to convening in Melbourne again to further accelerate the renewable energy revolution in the region.
“In 2024, the Summit in South Korea has grown to embrace the wider APAC region and will bring even more global voices to the region. In 2025 we will bring that scale back to Melbourne with industry, state and national government and communities from across the region present to work together to build the new energy system across the region,” Mr Backwell said.
Tourism Australia Managing Director, Phillipa Harrison, said “Given the importance of business events to our tourism sector, we are so pleased to be supporting this latest event win for Melbourne through Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund program,” said Ms Harrison.
“Since its inception, our Business Events Bid Fund has been helping to support a thriving visitor economy by building a strong pipeline of future international business events across Australia.”
With the APAC Wind Energy Summit set to return to Melbourne in 2025, the city continues to solidify its position as a leader in renewable energy and a prime destination for global conferences.