ACEN bags Australia’s first indigenous people-led RE deal

MANILA  -Ayala-led ACEN Corp. is set to add up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity in its portfolio after partnering with the Yindjibarndi people of Western Australia, which is slated to be one of the largest indigenous community-led clean energy initiatives in the continent.

ACEN inked an agreement in June with Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corp., the registered native title body corporate of the Yindjibarndi people, to form Yindjibarndi Energy Corp. and jointly develop wind, solar and renewable energy storage projects in the Pilbara region.

“The Pilbara region is home to some of the largest industrial energy users globally, many of whom have expressed their desire to transition to a carbon-neutral future. We are actively engaged in promising dialogues with potential off-take customers to purchase the renewable energy,” ACEN International chief executive officer Patrice Clausse said.

According to ACEN, an investment of over 1 billion Australian dollars, equivalent to about P37 billion, is needed for the initial 750 megawatts of combined wind, solar and battery storage projects that will be developed “within the next few years.”

The next stages will target an additional 2 GW to 3 GW of combined wind, solar and battery storage, surpassing the current output of Western Australia’s largest coal-fired power station, ACEN said in its stock exchange disclosure on Tuesday.

The partnership requires approval from the Yindjibarndi people for the development of all sites on their native land at Yindjibarndi Ngurra, a 13,000-square-kilometer area within the Yindjibarndi Native Title Determination Areas. INQ