Tasmania Landowners Partner with Malaysian Firm for Renewable Energy Projects
A Malaysian energy company has made a significant investment in two renewable energy initiatives in Tasmania, securing a deal to manage the projects while also acquiring an equity stake.
Gamuda Berhad’s local branch has partnered with prominent Tasmanian landowner Peter Downie and current development collaborator Alternate Path to develop the Cellars Hill wind farm and the adjacent Weasel solar farm.
Commitment to Community Values
Gamuda, known for its engineering and infrastructure expertise, is dedicated to maintaining positive relationships with local residents and contributing to the community. The design of the wind farm has been adjusted to minimise visibility from nearby towns, with a reduced layout and repositioned turbines.
Gamuda has expressed its commitment to uphold the landowner-led principles that guide this portfolio. Downie emphasised the importance of selecting a partner that aligns with their values, stating, “We have been highly selective in finding the right partner to work with us to develop this portfolio that brings both a financial and technical contribution and is wholly committed to the strong social licence and landowner-led principles of these projects.”
Details of the Investment
Gamuda’s equity acquisition grants the company delivery rights for the 56-turbine, 350 megawatt (MW) Cellars Hill wind farm, which will be complemented by a 600 MW/2400 MWh battery, as well as the 250 MW Weasel solar facility, which includes a 144 MW, 576 MWh battery.
In response to inquiries from Renew Economy, a representative from Gamuda indicated that while the company intends to hold its assets long-term, it may consider selling a portion of its equity stake to suitable investors in the future. The Downie family and Alternate Path are also open to similar arrangements.
Focus on Tasmania’s Potential
The partnership is particularly focused on Tasmania, recognising the substantial opportunities for energy and related projects in the region, according to Andrew Clark from Alternate Path. The agreement is pending approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Expanding into Renewable Energy
While Gamuda has established a strong presence in Australian construction and engineering, it has only recently begun to venture into the renewable energy sector. The company has secured early contractor agreements for various projects, including Alinta Energy’s Oven Mountain pumped hydro project in New South Wales and the Capricornia pumped hydro project in Queensland. Last month, they also won a contract to construct the Boulder Creek wind farm in Queensland.
This Tasmanian deal marks Gamuda’s first investment in renewable energy in Australia, as noted by Jarred Hardman from the company. “This deal represents our first Australian investment [in renewable energy],” he stated, highlighting the firm’s ongoing success in the Australian infrastructure market, where they are managing a $4.5 billion pipeline.
Streamlined Approval Process
Tasmania, particularly the Downie/Alternate Path projects, has proven to be an advantageous starting point for Gamuda, as indicated by the smooth approval process. Federal environmental planners approved the central highlands solar farm and battery project in May without any conditions, and the Cellars Hill project was classified as a controlled action in under a month.
The partnership, which includes the Downie family and Andrew Clark from Alternate Path, along with the Bowden family from Weasel Plains for the solar farm, aims to commence construction on the Weasel solar project in fiscal 2027, followed by the Cellars Hill project a year later.
Community Engagement and Innovation
Gamuda will also need to embrace the vision of giving back to the communities of the Downie and Bowden families, who are neighbours to both projects, along with the associated higher initial and ongoing project costs. Downie has previously led the Cattle Hill wind farm, which was the first to implement Identiflight technology to detect and halt turbines when endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles are present.
Cellars Hill will similarly utilise this advanced technology. Additionally, the solar farm is being designed to allow sheep grazing beneath the solar panels, a cost borne by the developer that ultimately benefits the landowner and asset owner through reduced vegetation management expenses.
Both projects are part of a broader vision to establish an industrial precinct in the region, aimed at powering data centres and alternative fuel production to revive local employment opportunities. “Key early decisions to facilitate agrisolar include consideration of sufficient panel row spacing width, panel clearance heights, working with land contours to avoid significant earthworks, and water point and paddock location design,” Clark noted in May.
