‘ACEN is on track to become a significant player in Australia’s energy market.’
New England Solar project in Uralla, New South Wales consists of a 720-megawatt solar and battery development spanning 2,000 hectares of former grazing land. The entire project, ACEN’s first investment in Australia, can power up to 300,000 homes each year.
Photograph by Maria Romero for DAILY TRIBUNE
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SYDNEY, Australia — From remote wind farms in Tasmania to solar and battery hubs in New South Wales, ACEN Corp., the listed energy arm of the Ayala Group, is planting deep roots in Australia’s energy landscape.
With billions of pesos in projects lined up, the company is positioning itself as a leading force in the country’s transition to renewable power.
“ACEN is on track to become a significant player in Australia’s energy market,” said Killian Wentrup, ACEN Australia’s head of development.
“By 2030, with projects like Valley of the Winds, Birriwa solar and battery hybrid, and our Phoenix pumped hydro development, we will have built several gigawatts of solar, wind, and firming capacity,” he added.
Wentrup pointed out that all ongoing projects are positioned to bring electricity to customers in New South Wales, which is in line with Australia’s target of reaching 82 percent renewables by 2035.
Meanwhile, Jose Maria Zabaleta, ACEN Corp.’s group chief operating officer and group chief development officer, and executive chairman of ACEN Australia, noted that while the Philippines remains its home base, Australia’s unique market structure presents challenges and opportunities.
“The Philippines is one market under the purview of one government. Australia is a large country comprised of several different markets, and regulations differ across project locations,” Zabaleta said.
“There can be no successful energy transition and self-sufficiency without new transmission and energy storage capacity.”
High-capacity wind farm
The company recently secured a milestone in Tasmania, with the Federal Government approving its 900-megawatt Robbins Island Wind project — one of the largest private investments in the state’s history at AUD$ billion.
The development is expected to power 500,000 homes, create up to 400 construction jobs, and inject more than AUD$30 million annually into the local economy, along with a AUD$27-million community benefits program for the Circular Head region.
ACEN Australia managing director David Pollington said the approval was a significant step forward not just for ACEN but also for Tasmania’s role in the clean energy transition.
“The decision shows that large, complex projects can be delivered responsibly, balancing overall impacts and conserving biodiversity, with the need for clean energy to address climate change,” he said.
The Robbins Island project, assessed for more than eight years, will provide low-cost wind power to complement Tasmania’s hydro resources and contribute substantially to state and national emissions targets.
Transmission line approval is expected by 2026, with generation targeted to begin by 2030.
