Plans to have first turbines spinning by 2032 look increasingly unlikely as investors back out of multiple projects – but proponents say benefits will flow once industry established

• Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here

For many Australians, the scale of offshore wind projects can be hard to fathom. These powerful machines, designed to harness the strong and consistent winds blowing over the ocean, are colossal, with blade tips reaching up to 350m – higher than our tallest skyscrapers.

If everything falls into place, Australia’s first offshore wind project could have turbines in the water before 2032.

Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter