ACCIONA invests $288m in wind after VRET success

stockyard hill, Germany, cattle hill, Dundonnell

ACCIONA is set to invest $288 million in a new wind farm in Victoria, after a win in the state’s renewable energy auction scheme.

The company will build the 157.5MW Mortlake South Wind Farm, which will incorporate a scalable battery energy storage system (BESS) to help boost performance and integration into the electricity grid.

Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2019, with completion expected in mid-2020.

“This auction result broadens and deepens our investment in Victoria and Australia more generally,” ACCIONA Energy Australia managing director Brett Wickham said.

“We’re pleased our track record and long-term, low-risk focus has been recognised, and we look forward to working with the government, local suppliers and local communities to get Mortlake South up and running.”

Based in Melbourne, the company is already a major investor in the Victorian renewables sector.

Its recently completed Mt Gellibrand facility is in the commissioning phase, while the wind farm at Waubra has been operating for almost a decade.

On completion, the new project will increase ACCIONA’s installed renewable energy capacity in Australia by 36%.

It represents a $288 million capital investment that will create approximately 100 jobs, including around 10 ongoing roles during operations.

Since entering the Australian market in 2002, ACCIONA has invested more than $1.3 billion in the sector, and sees the country as a key strategic pillar within its global energy portfolio.

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