ACEN plots 2,000-MW Australia RE rollout

ACEN plots 2,000-MW Australia RE rollout | Daily Tribune

SYDNEY, Australia — ACEN Australia, a unit of Ayala-led ACEN Corp., is ramping up its renewable energy drive with more than 2,000 megawatts alternating current (MWAc) of projects lined up over the next three years, an aggressive rollout that rides on Australia’s plan to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.

“ACEN Australia is building a strong and diverse portfolio that covers wind, solar, pumped hydro, and battery storage,” said Jose Maria Zabaleta, ACEN Corp. group chief operating officer and group chief development officer, and executive chairman of ACEN Australia.

“We currently have more than 1,000 MW of renewable capacity already in operation, with 200 MW under construction, and over 2,000 MW we expect to put into construction in the next three years,” he added.

The company’s pipeline includes the 600-MW Birriwa Solar project in New South Wales, a 600-MWh battery energy storage system to support grid stability, and the 900-MWac Valley of the Wind project, one of the largest wind projects in the National Electricity Market.

Zabaleta said the scale of ACEN’s expansion “positions ACEN to help achieve Australia’s energy transition objectives, and reflects our long-term goals and commitments.”

In a separate report, ACEN disclosed that its Monsoon Wind Power Project in Lao PDR has officially started commercial operations, becoming the first cross-border renewable energy project in Asia.

The 600-MW facility now delivers power from southern Lao PDR into Vietnam.

Located across the Dak Cheung District of Sekong Province and the Sanxay District of Attapeu Province, the project consists of 133 wind turbines developed after more than a decade of wind studies.

Power is transmitted through four 115 kilovolts (kV) substations, stepped up to 500 kV, and carried along a 27-kilometer high-voltage line to the Lao–Vietnam border, where it connects to Vietnam’s 500 kV system before continuing another 44 kilometers to EVN’s Thanh My substation.

The project was initiated by Impact Electrons Siam and is developed and operated by Monsoon Wind Power Company Limited, a Lao-incorporated firm.

Shareholders include IES, ACEN from the Philippines, Thailand’s BCPG Public Company Limited and STP&I Public Company Limited, Mitsubishi Corp. of Japan and subsidiary Diamond Generating Asia Limited, and SMP Consultation Sole Company Limited of Lao PDR.

Financing was provided by regional and global lenders, including the Asian Development Bank as lead arranger, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Export–Import Bank of Thailand, Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Kasikornbank, and Siam Commercial Bank.

Construction was led by PowerChina, with turbines supplied by Envision Energy.