PETALING JAYA: Gamuda Bhd
has expanded its renewable energy footprint in Australia through its subsidiary Gamuda Renewables Pty Ltd’s (Gamuda Renewables) acquiring an interest in Hazelwood North Solar Farm and battery energy storage system (Bess) from Manthos Investments Pty Ltd.
The acquisition, marking Gamuda Renewables’ inaugural Victorian investment, increases its Australian portfolio to three assets across the National Electricity Market.
Spanning 1,100 ha in Latrobe Valley, Victoria, the Hazelwood North Solar Farm and Bess project is designed to combine 450 megawatts (MW) of solar generation with a four-hour (1,800MW-hour) battery energy storage system.
The project is expected to commence construction in 2028, with commercial operation anticipated to be in 2030, pending a final investment decision.
Around 450 local construction jobs are also projected to be generated from the project.
Once operational, the project is expected to power approximately 150,000 homes.
Approval for the project has already been secured through Victoria’s Development Facilitation Programme.
The acquisition is subject to approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
According to Gamuda, Manthos and Gamuda Renewables are actively exploring an expansion of the project to feature a co-located onsite data centre.
In line with Gamuda Renewables’ utility-neutral approach, the co-located data centre could be powered directly by onsite solar and Bess, running with greater independence from the wider distribution network while leveraging Bess as a shock absorber in low and high demand periods.
The model is said to align with the growing convergence of renewable energy and digital infrastructure, offering clean, dedicated, reliable power that reduces pressure on shared transmission infrastructure and gives data centre operators a differentiated proposition.
“Hazelwood North marks a significant milestone for us – not only as our first Victorian asset but also as a project that captures exactly where the energy transition is heading,” said Jarred Hardman, chief strategy and development officer at Gamuda Australia.
“Pairing large-scale renewable generation and storage with the digital infrastructure that increasingly depends on it is a compelling model, and one we look forward to progressing in the months ahead.”
The acquisition represents the latest step in Gamuda Renewables’ commitment towards owning and building large-scale renewable energy infrastructure in Australia’s most populous energy markets.
Gamuda Renewables entered the Australian energy market in September 2024, with an initial target of 1GW to 2GW portfolio by 2029.
Having achieved this goal within two years, it has since raised its ambitions to reach 5GW of assets under development, construction, and operation by 2031.
Recently, two Gamuda Renewables’ projects, Weasel Solar Farm and Cellars Hill Wind Farm, were among the 19 selected projects under Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS).
CIS, the government’s flagship revenue underwriting initiative, provides a 15-year revenue safety net, which serves to de-risk private investment and accelerate delivery of Gamuda’s renewable energy assets.
