Naturgy subsidiary Global Power Generation (GPG) has celebrated the operational status of its third wind farm in Australia, Berrybank 2, increasing the company’s total installed capacity in the country to 395MW.
The company also recently inaugurated the ACT Battery in Australia, the group’s first utility-scale battery energy storage facility worldwide.
Related article: Ingeteam delivers Berrybank battery for GPG
Berrybank 2 Wind Farm is located in the Corangamite and Golden Plains local government areas of south-west Victoria, 150km from Melbourne. The facility has an installed capacity of 109MW from 26 wind turbines, which will generate 390GWh of clean energy per year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 71,000 households.
The total investment amounted to 236 million Australian dollars (144 million euros) and will offset the emission of 390,000 tonnes of equivalent CO2, enabling Australia to move forward in its energy transition towards cleaner generation technologies.
Naturgy’s new renewable facility is the second phase of the Berrybank 1 Wind Farm, that has been in operation since 2021. Berrybank 2 Wind Farm was awarded a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government in September 2020. This is Naturgy’s third renewable energy generation project in Australia, following the Crookwell 2 Wind Farm and Berrybank 1 Wind Farm.
The commencement of operations of the Berrybank 2 Wind Farm coincides with the celebration of Naturgy’s 15th anniversary in Australia, a priority country for the group due to its huge potential in energy transition. Naturgy aims to reach an installed capacity of 2.2 GW by 2025, focused on the development of wind technology, photovoltaic solar and energy storage system plants.
In addition to the four facilities already under operation, Naturgy is working on a solid portfolio of construction and advanced development projects totalling 1.5GW of power, concentrated in the states of Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. The projects currently under construction, scheduled for commissioning in 2024, are the 218MW Ryan Corner Wind Farm, 58MW Crookwell 3 Wind Farm and 97MW Hawkesdale Wind Farm, as well as the Cunderdin hybrid solar and battery energy storage project.
Related article: Berrybank 1 Wind Farm commences operation
GPG CEO Francisco Bustío said, “Naturgy’s purpose in Australia has always been to build a solid renewable portfolio capable of providing clean energy sources and contributing to the development of rural and regional communities. We celebrate this fifteenth anniversary with our sights set on the future and with a solid commitment to this country, second only to Spain in terms of growth volume according to Naturgy’s current strategic plan.”
