Naturgy boosts its international presence with a historic hybrid clean energy project in Australia. Through its international generation subsidiary, Global Power Generation (GPG), the energy company will invest more than 300 million euros in the construction of its largest renewable facility in the country.
This megaproject stands as the firm’s largest installation in the area and its second hybrid solar energy and battery storage project in the Australian market. It will be located in the Fraser Coast region of Queensland and will become a absolute benchmark due to its large size and hybrid configuration.
The new energy infrastructure will have a large solar capacity of 330 MW and will add 180 MW of state-of-the-art battery storage. This photovoltaic integration will provide much greater flexibility to the electrical system and will contribute to optimizing the management of the renewable energy generated.
This ambitious renewable energy complex has solid commercial support to fully ensure its economic viability. The Spanish multinational has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a duration of ten years.
This supply contract guarantees the sale of the renewable electricity that the Fraser Coast will produce. In this way, the visibility of future income from the plant is reinforced for the company and the attractiveness of its projects for large consumers committed to their decarbonization goals and objectives is made visible.
According to planned plans, Fraser Coast is now entering its construction phase. Forecasts place the start of commercial supply and operation of the plant in 2028.. Once operational, the plant will boost Naturgy’s international growth and consolidate its competitive position in the Australian market.
The company operates there through GPG, subsidiary where the group maintains a majority stake of 75% together with its partner Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), which owns the remaining 25%.
The Australian market represents a very attractive geography for Naturgy within its growth plan in renewable energies. Currently, the group manages an operational portfolio of 1.3 GW in the region.
This infrastructure includes six operating wind farms, two solar plants, the ATC Battery storage facility and its first hybrid project in Cunderdin, Western Australia.
The company is active in the states of Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland. There it maintains the focus on three key technologies: onshore wind, hybridization with solar plants and independent batteries, solutions that are especially relevant in a market with price volatility and network restrictions, where Hybrid projects like Fraser Coast will play an increasingly relevant role.