EnergyAustralia close to signing PPAs for 500MW of wind and solar in east Australia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The first commitment will be a 13-year PPA signing for the 42.6MW solar farm at Manildra in regional New South Wales. Credit: ARENA

Major power firm EnergyAustralia has confirmed it will soon sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 500MW of wind and solar projects across eastern Australia, in contracts worth AU$1.5 billion (US$1.12 billion).

EnergyAustralia owns and operates a multibillion dollar portfolio of energy generation and storage facilities including coal, gas and wind assets, to service 1.7 million customers across Australia, but it is looking to diversify into clean energy.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Expected by the end of this year, the first commitment will be a 13-year PPA signing for the 42.6MW solar farm at Manildra in regional New South Wales. The plant is supported by funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) under its large-scale solar funding round and is being developed by First Solar. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2017 for completion in 2018.

EnergyAustralia managing director Catherine Tanna said negotiations between EnergyAustralia and developers of the other solar and wind projects across eastern Australia were at an advanced stage.

The firm has so far underpinned more than AU$1 billion of capital investment in new renewable generation, having previously signed PPAs for more than 450MW of wind farms in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

EnergyAustralia managing director Catherine Tanna said: “EnergyAustralia owns two of the largest coal-fired power stations in the country, providing customers with reliable, affordable electricity. But our operations also generate more than 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year at a time when the community rightly expects us to play our part in lowering carbon emissions.

“Owning big power plants comes with the responsibility of promoting and leading the development of cleaner forms of energy. That’s why we’re committing to buy 500MW of power from new solar and wind projects around the country, providing the support they need to get built.

“These are the projects which will come to underpin energy supply in Australia as coal-fired power plants are retired, so customers continue to enjoy reliable, affordable energy.”

Read Next

Premium
August 7, 2025
July 2025, the peak of the Australian winter season, saw generation from utility-scale and rooftop solar increase by 12.78% year-on-year in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
August 6, 2025
The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has published the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM) for solar cells, which contains 13GW of annual nameplate capacity across six manufacturers.
August 4, 2025
Australia’s Productivity Commission said the country should phase out subsidies for renewables and replace them with market-based incentives.
August 1, 2025
US solar module manufacturer First Solar saw sales and net profits increase in Q2 2025, as it forecasts a strong performance under the Trump administration’s industrial and trade policy changes.
August 1, 2025
Western Australia network operator Western Power has confirmed it has granted two more network connection offers to two new large-scale renewable energy projects, bringing its total for 2024/25 to 759MW.
August 1, 2025
Dutch pension fund APG has agreed to provide Octopus Australia with AU$1 billion to support its solar, wind, and BESS portfolio.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines