Brazil’s Grupo Energia sets up Australian renewables office in Melbourne

Brazilian renewables consultancy Grupo Energia has set up shop in Australia, choosing Victoria for its regional head-quarters based on the supportive policies of that state’s Labor government.

Grupo Energia specialises in advisory, management and operation support for solar, wind, hydroand other renewable power generation projects, as well as in energy storage and power transmission management.

The company’s CEO Rubens Brandt said in a statement late last week that the Victorian Andrews government’s support had been “instrumental” in its decision to locate its Australia and New Zealand headquarters in Melbourne.

The company is no doubt also attracted to that region by the pressing need for large-scale energy storage solutions, as certain parts of the NEM – not least in Victoria – struggle to accommodate a huge pipeline of big wind and solar.

Victorian energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said in a statement that Grupo Energia was expected to create up to 70 new local jobs as part of its investment in the state, including technical, commercial and engineering roles.

“The fact that yet another global company has chosen to invest in Victoria’s thriving renewable energy industry speaks volumes about our strong credentials in this sector,” D’Ambrosio said.

Victoria in 2017 became the first Australian state or territory to write a renewable energy target into law, and his since also legislated for 40 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030.

The state government says Grupo Energia marks the latest international company to invest in its renewables industry, following Mainstream Renewable Power, Total Eren, Tilt Renewables, Acciona Nordex, BayWa re, X-Elio and Iberdrola.

But as one company enters the market, others prepare to leave, including most recently the UK-based infrastructure giant John Laing, which announced plans to quit the Australian solar and wind energy sectors due to the impact of transmission losses and a market where “returns no longer reflected the risks.”