Shell Energy Operations Pty Ltd has signed an agreement to acquire 49 per cent of Australian wind farm developer, WestWind Energy Development Pty Ltd, which has a 3 gigawatt (GW) project pipeline across Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland.
Shell Australia Country Chair, Tony Nunan, said: “Meeting our customers’ energy needs today and into the future by developing renewable energy is core to Shell’s strategy.”
“WestWind has an impressive pipeline of Australian wind projects and proven capability in the development of onshore wind here and, via its parent company, overseas. Our first wind investment in Australia is a significant step in our goal to build a low-carbon integrated power business in Australia in line with our customers’ evolving energy needs.
“This strategic partnership with WestWind complements Shell’s investments over recent years across large scale solar, carbon trading and power retailing, generation and trading. It demonstrates our commitment to delivering a broad range of low-carbon products and services to residential and commercial customers,” Mr Nunan said.
WestWind Energy Managing Director, Tobias Geiger, said: “This is an exciting day for WestWind Energy and, more importantly, for Australia’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
“In partnership with Shell, we can accelerate our development of wind energy projects in Victoria and expand into NSW and Queensland. We will be able to grow our team to undertake a larger number of projects, and progress them much faster,” Mr Geiger said.
The investment is expected to complete in 2022 and is subject to regulatory approvals.
