Naturgy opens new Victoria wind farm as part of major renewables and storage push

Spanish energy group Naturgy has begun operations at a new 109MW wind farm in Victoria and confirmed plans to quadruple its renewable and storage capacity in Australia to more than 2.2GW over the next two years.

The Berrybank 2 wind farm has been built at a cost of $236 million and is located in the Corangamite and Golden Plains local government areas of south-west Victoria, around 150kms from Melbourne and located next to the 180MW Berrybank 1 wind project.

The output from 26 wind turbines at Berrybank 2, estimated at about 390GWh a year, is contracted to the ACT government at a price of $54.48/MWh for 14 years, equivalent to $22 million a year.

That deal, which includes the recently opened 10MW/20MWh battery in Canberra – the first built by Naturgy anywhere in the world – is part of the ACT government’s plans to push beyond 100 per cent renewables to support its electrification program, which includes transport and household and businesses.

On Thursday, the ACT became the first state or territory to ban the installation of gas facilities in new homes, and also revealed that – thanks to its renewable energy contracts – consumers in the ACT face only a minimal rise in their electricity bills in the coming years, unlike the rest of the country.

The completion of the Berrybank 2 wind farm takes Naturgy’s total capacity in Australia to 395MW. It also owns the Crookwell 2 wind farm, and it aims to reach an installed capacity of 2.2 GW by 2025.

It is currently building 1.5GW of facilities, all due for completion in 2024. These include the 218MW Ryan Corner, the 58MW Crookwell 3 and the 97MW Hawkesdale wind projects, as well as the Cunderdin hybrid solar and battery energy storage project.

Cunderdin, with 128MW of solar and a 55MW, four hour (220MWh) battery, is the first large-scale dc-coupled hybrid project under construction in the country. It is being built at a cost of $275 million).

Naturgy’s operations in Australia are owned by GPG, which is 75 per cent owned by Naturgy and 25 per cent by the Kuwait Investment Authority.

“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,” said Francisco Bustío, the CEO of GPG.

“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”, says Francisco Bustío, Chief Executive Officer of GPG.