Category: Renewable Electricity

17 September, 2025

Public parks, swimming centres and libraries, arts centres and sports ovals, health and other community centres across the Campbelltown region are now powered by 100 per cent clean, renewable energy.

Campbelltown City Council has boosted its partnership with Australian-owned ZEN Energy to shift from 70 per cent clean energy in 2022 to 100 per cent renewable energy supply now, in 2025.

The renewable power supply agreement between Council and ZEN now services 166 public places and spaces, including Campbelltown Arts Centre, Ingleburn library, Mary Brookes Baseball Park at St Helens Park, the Rural Fire Service Control Centre at Minto, and Parklands Early Learning Centre.

Campbelltown now joins 20 other councils, which form the majority of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), in powering their communities with 100% renewable electricity. This includes the City of Sydney, Sutherland Shire Council and the City of Canada Bay.

Campbelltown City Council has achieved its goal of becoming 100 per cent renewable in just 8 years.

In 2017, Campbelltown joined 17 other councils in a landmark initiative facilitated by SSROC to reduce carbon emissions, the cost of electricity and gas and support investment in the NSW renewable energy industry.

In July 2022, it then increased its supply of renewable electricity to 70 per cent as part of the SSROC agreement with ZEN to supply renewable energy to 25 councils across Sydney.

The partnership between SSROC and ZEN represents more than 3 million people – almost 40 per cent of NSW’s population.

Quotes attributable to Mayor of Campbelltown, Darcy Lound, Campbelltown City Council:

“Campbelltown City Council’s agreement with ZEN Energy ensures that community facilities are powered by renewable energy and demonstrates our commitment to sustainable service delivery. This transition represents a significant step in reducing emissions across our operations and building a cleaner, greener Campbelltown for the future.”

Quotes attributable to Anthony Garnaut, CEO of ZEN Energy:

“The strength and flexibility of ZEN’s partnership with Campbelltown City Council has enabled it to steadily increase its supply of clean electricity to public spaces and places, and achieve its goal to become 100 per cent renewable in just a few years.”

“Supporting the collective buying power of all 25 member councils of SSROC reflects the unique strategy ZEN brings to the country’s energy transition, supporting like-minded organisations and businesses move quickly to replace coal and gas-fired power with clean energy.”

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au

18 August, 2025

The energy transition is nation-building change and is as much about creating a safer climate as it is about our economic prosperity.

Right now, the transition is off track and emissions reduction targets are under threat in large part because of a huge bottleneck of legitimate projects stalled by a complex, often duplicating and web of state and federal environmental planning regulations.

Faster approvals would reduce emissions, lower costs for developers, attract investment and make energy cheaper… all supporting productivity growth.

Fixing this with a ‘one stop’ system would also better protect our special wildlife and natural landscapes.

A review of national environmental laws by former competition regulator Graeme Samuel in 2020 recommended a new national set of rules to replace the current overlapping or duplicating system of state and federal approvals processes.

Samuel recommended a one stop, or “single touch” system: states and territories would be accredited to assess and determine environmental approvals under a strict set of Commonwealth-mandated standards and rules.

At the National Press Club last month, former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry urged the Albanese government to implement Samuel’s proposal for a one-stop approach backed up by robust national environmental standards enforced by an independent federal environmental protection agency.

Fixing Australia’s ‘broken’ environmental laws would not only be a win for nature, he said, but also for the economy and productivity because Australia cannot afford the current “slow, opaque, duplicative and contested environmental planning decisions mired in administrative complexity”.

• Do your project a favour, save nature and boost productivity along the way

Antiquated environmental planning regulations are significantly delaying Australia’s transition to renewable energy. Not only does this threaten science-based action to reduce emissions and create a safer climate, but it is a root cause of our declining productivity.

New, streamlined national environment laws and planning regulations would change all this. But developers can also do themselves a favour and make sure site selection and design thinking reduces the likelihood of damage to nature and also getting local communities offside.

Hookey Creek, ZEN’s joint venture ZEBRE project with HDRE, was approved by the federal environment department in just 17 days.

We are a values-based business, and this includes valuing Australia’s unique biodiversity and landscapes. We focus on developing assets in regions with limited existing renewable energy supply but also seek to re-purpose sites that have had previous commercial or industrial uses, minimising impacts on the natural environment.

This is the key reason why Hookey Creek has been approved, but is also why our Templers Battery in South Australia will be fully operational in the next month (its on cleared former agricultural land).​

ZEN is also proposing a landmark pumped hydro project in Western Sydney, converting degraded land at a former coal washery at Nattai and adjacent to Lake Burragagorang into a 1GW energy storage project that could power 500,000 homes and businesses for up to 14 continuous hours.

• ZEN’s 5-point plan to economic and environmental prosperity

Australia can and must transition quickly to 100 per cent renewable energy, and nature can and must be an equal priority.

Rapid deployment of renewable energy is a critical need for the Australian economy. Slow and complex environmental approvals present a material challenge to the timely rollout of renewable projects.

Renewable energy projects contribute directly to emissions reduction and therefore have a beneficial effect on reducing climate impacts on biodiversity.

We support substantial reforms to the EPBC Act to stop extinctions, improve assessment and approval speed, reduce complexity, and deliver improved environmental outcomes that deliver for nature and people.

• To achieve these goals, ZEN urges close consideration of:

1. A ‘one stop’ environmental planning system to unshackle the speed of assessments and approvals. States and territories would be accredited to assess and determine environmental approvals under a strict set of Commonwealth-mandated standards and rules.
2. Regional planning that provides clear direction on shorter and more efficient approval pathways for specific locations and regions.
3. Regional planning and reformed biodiversity offsetting that provide flexible and environmentally robust options for addressing residual project impacts on listed species.
4. Consideration of the climate change benefits of renewable energy projects through the assessment and approvals process.
5. Transparent and consistent mechanisms for the renewables sector to participate in the development of planning and conservation approaches that meet the sector’s needs, for example, through regional plan development.

8 July, 2025
SYDNEY, Australia.

AMPYR Australia (AMPYR) today announced it has achieved financial close of its 300 MW / 600 MWh Wellington Stage 1 battery energy storage system (BESS) project in regional New South Wales (NSW). Once energised in 2026, the Wellington Stage 1 BESS will support the growing demand for reliable, renewable energy across Australia while lowering energy costs for future industries.

The Wellington Stage 1 BESS is a crucial element in advancing Australia’s energy storage capabilities. AMPYR is on track to deliver more than 6 GWh of energy storage projects by 2030, including Wellington Stage 1 BESS and an additional 100 MW / 400 MWh in Stage 2, providing a total 1 GWh of energy storage in the region by 2027.

AMPYR has signed a 10-year virtual offtake agreement with ZEN Energy Retail Pty Ltd (ZEN Energy) for 150 MW of the Wellington Stage 1 BESS capacity. The offtake agreement will provide flexibility in capacity contracting for AMPYR while enabling ZEN to firm its portfolio of sustainability-driven customers.

The Wellington Stage 1 BESS will be delivered by Fluence Energy, Inc. (Fluence), using its advanced Gridstack™ grid-scale energy storage product. Fluence has also entered into a 20-year operational service contract to service and maintain the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, with revenues to be optimised by Mosaic (Fluence’s AI-powered revenue optimisation software) and Nispera (Fluence’s asset performance management software). Lumea will provide the connection to Transgrid’s 330 kV network at Wellington.

AMPYR Australia is backed by AGP, an independent global investor and asset manager that owns, develops and operates sustainable real assets across energy transition, digital transition and real estate.

The lender group for the more than A$340 million financing for the Wellington Stage 1 BESS includes the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Bank of China, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Rabobank, Societe Generale and United Overseas Bank (UOB).

AMPYR is partnering with the Aboriginal community in Wellington, NSW, on the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, including providing an opportunity to invest directly alongside AMPYR.

Alex Wonhas, AMPYR Australia CEO, commented, “Reaching the financial close of our first grid-scale BESS project in Australia marks a significant milestone in the acceleration of Australia’s energy transition. Supported by our high-calibre partners, ZEN Energy and Fluence, the Wellington Stage 1 BESS will play a critical role in an increasingly renewable grid whilst boosting Australia’s energy storage capacity and supporting the delivery of low-cost energy to major users.”

Anthony Garnaut, ZEN Energy CEO, said, “Virtual tolling agreements signal a maturing of the renewable energy transition and deliver shared value for ZEN Energy and AMPYR. This is the first battery we have contracted in New South Wales, and our share of Wellington Stage 1 is big enough to double the size of the customer volume we serve.”

Jan Teichmann, Fluence APAC SVP & President, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with AMPYR on the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, marking another step forward in strengthening Australia’s transition to a more sustainable energy future. The full suite of Fluence’s innovative storage products and operational services will allow AMPYR to extract the most value out of the Wellington Stage 1 BESS.”

Brad Hopkins, AGP Partner, commented, “AGP is a sponsor of high-growth infrastructure platforms and is committed to investing in Australia’s energy transition. We will be engaging with our capital partners to fund the growth of the business through the remainder of 2025.”

AMPYR was advised on the financing by Azure Capital as financial adviser and Ashurst as borrower’s counsel, with Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer acting as lenders’ counsel. Corrs Chambers Westgarth acted as project counsel on the virtual toll agreement with ZEN Energy. Transaction diligence advisers were Ashurst (legal), Aurora (market), BMS (insurance), KPMG (tax), Mazars (model audit) and Worley (technical).

To learn more about AMPYR’s work and the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, visit the AMPYR website.

ENDS

About AMPYR Australia

AMPYR is a new independent power producer in Australia with global backing from AGP Sustainable Real Assets (AGP). AMPYR’s grid-scale battery projects offer innovative energy solutions, which are built from the ground up with customers in mind, to power Australia’s future industries. AMPYR’s energy solutions empower Australia’s future industries, like hyperscale datacentres, to decarbonise reliably and cost-effectively. AMPYR is on track to deliver more than 6 GWh of grid-scale battery storage in strategic grid locations by 2030, providing up to 20% of Australia’s future storage demand.

AMPYR is part of AGP which has over 13 GW of clean energy assets under development globally.

For more information, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

About AGP Sustainable Real Assets (AGP)

AGP is an independent global investor and asset manager that owns, develops and operates sustainable real assets across three core strategies: Energy, Digital Infrastructure (Data Centre) and Real Estate.

Founded in 2018, AGP brings together two decades of businesses built by our Partners across these strategies under a single investment platform.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, AGP focuses on transformative assets that create long-term value and deliver meaningful impact for people and the environment, while delivering exceptional returns for investors.

Media contact

Courtney Phelps
Email: Ampyr@slingstone.com
Phone: +61 452 663 095

Image credit: AMPYR (artist’s rendering of the proposed Wellington battery.)

16 April, 2025

A NSW parliamentary inquiry has recommended sweeping reforms to laws governing former mining land, potentially opening up tourism, manufacturing and renewable energy development opportunities for the Wollondilly Shire.

The final report of the Beneficial and Productive Post-Mining Land Use Inquiry was tabled in NSW Parliament this week and it includes a key recommendation to remove bureaucratic obstacles to enable former mining land to be repurposed for the next generation of industry, including renewable energy projects.

One of the main recommendations is directly relevant to the Wollondilly Shire and its history of coal mining: “That the government conduct a comprehensive program of reform of current land uses and opportunities for future uses across regions experiencing mining and energy transition.”

The Inquiry committee, made up of MPs from the government, opposition and minor parties, urged the NSW Government to consider former mining land ideal “for housing, environmental, educational tourism, sport, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy purposes.”

ZEN Energy and the SADA Dunbier Group, partners in the proposed Western Sydney Pumped Hydro project at the former Wollondilly Coal Washery site at Nattai, gave evidence at an Inquiry hearing in late 2024 and presented the project as case study of the second life benefits of former mining land.

Wollondilly Council made a submission to the Inquiry and expressed its excitement about the project’s potential to bring ‘significant benefits’ and investment into the local Wollondilly community, including 1,500 construction jobs, and 80 ongoing jobs. The Council further noted the benefits of such initiatives in seeking to achieve a more sustainable energy future:

“Projects like the [Western Sydney Pumped Hydro Project] demonstrate the potential for government and private partnerships and investment into projects that deliver community benefit and seek to achieve a more sustainable future for communities via renewable technologies.”

All Inquiry members also agreed to a key recommendation that the NSW Government pursue “opportunities to encourage innovative post-mining land uses including: (i) the planning and implementation of essential supporting infrastructure for future site use and; (ii) the development of solar farms, pumped hydro, and other clean energy industries.”

The Inquiry report and its 13 recommendations will now be reviewed by the NSW Government, and it will announce its commitments to act within six months.

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au

11 April, 2025

ZEN Energy has secured one of Australia’s largest multi-state Electricity Retail Agreements (ERA)[1] with industrial gas supplier BOC Australia that will replace more than 45 per cent of its grid power use in Queensland, NSW and Victoria with solar energy across the term of the agreement.

Through an innovative tri-party deal with ACEN Australia, the 10-year ERA involves supplying BOC’s energy needs on the eastern seaboard up to 2035. The deal is supported by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that will see ZEN purchase approximately 23 per cent of the solar generation from ACEN’s 400 MW New England (Stage 1) Solar project in NSW.

The new agreement enables BOC Australia to reduce its current carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2035. BOC is a subsidiary of industrial gases and engineering company Linde, which has a target to reduce its global emissions 35 per cent by 2035.​

“This agreement supports Linde’s global target to reduce its Scope 2 emissions by gradually increasing our use of renewable energy.

In addition to lowering BOC’s emissions in Australia, it will also help our customers become more efficient and decarbonise their operations by supplying industrial gases which have a lower carbon intensity at a competitive price.” Theo Martin, BOC Australia

“This is the transition to renewable energy in action and at scale. Such big steps forward for industry sustainability and emissions reduction would not be possible unless a genuine partnership between BOC, ACEN Australia and ZEN was involved.

“BOC is ZEN’s first global customer. This demonstrates great confidence in our business model and our strategy. ZEN was the first energy company to commit to science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions, and this agreement is proof positive that BOC is firmly of the same mind and mission.” Anthony Garnaut, ZEN Energy CEO

“This agreement is another milestone for ACEN Australia’s New England Solar project which stands as a major contributor to the National Electricity Market (NEM) and includes the first large-scale battery storage project to be built in New England.”

“We are excited by this offtake with ZEN Energy, enabling us to bring more renewable energy projects to life and clean electricity for Australian homes and businesses while reducing the need for electricity that would otherwise be sourced from generators with higher emissions intensity.” David Pollington, ACEN Australia Managing Director

[1] “(2024) the largest multi-state retailer-intermediated PPA transaction in the NEM so far, the third stage of the QIC & IFM buyers group initiative at 311GWh p.a.”

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au.

24 December, 2024

Australia’s current 3 gigawatts (GW) of energy storage capacity will grow by up at least a third (1 GW) following the creation of a new battery and solar investment platform by ZEN Energy and HDRE, a $1.3bn Taiwan-listed renewable energy company.

Starting with Solar River 256MW BESS and 210 MW solar farm north of Adelaide, the new battery energy storage system (BESS) platform, ZEBRE, includes scope to expand quickly and deliver an additional GW of energy storage, as well as 400 megawatts (MW) of solar generation across projects in four states.

The Solar River BESS and solar hybrid project was successful in the first funding round of the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme in September. As part of the creation of ZEBRE, ZEN has also entered into a tolling agreement for Solar River to ensure the project moves quickly to financial close and construction.

ZEBRE is 70 per cent owned by HDRE, with ZEN retaining 30 per cent.

The ZEBRE name is derived from ZEN, BESS and HDRE. The ZEN/HDRE collaboration will focus on developing storage assets here in Australia, as well as in Taiwan and potentially other countries such as Japan.

The ZEBRE partnership follows ZEN and HDRE signing a $43m equity transaction in early November this year.

Current forecasts by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show Australia will need at least 22GW of storage by 2030 – a more than 700 per cent increase in capacity in the next six years. AEMO’s latest 2024 Integrated System Plan identified that storage capacity will need to increase from 3 GW today to 49 GW by 2050.

Quotes attributable to Anthony Garnaut, CEO of ZEN Energy:

“Long duration battery storage, as well as the significant benefits of deep storage that pumped hydro provides, is the critical ingredient to ensuring a reliable, firmed supply of power as Australia’s transitions away from fossil fuels.

“Securing Australia’s place at the head of the rapid world-wide shift to clean energy and realising the economic opportunities of becoming a renewable superpower depend on having global partnerships.

“ZEN is excited and thankful that, together with HDRE, we are building our portfolio of renewable energy investments and contributing to our collective safety and prosperity as well.”

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au.

8 November 2024.

ZEN Energy and Taiwan listed renewable energy developer, HD Renewable Energy Co (HDRE) have formed a strategic partnership to focus on energy storage and green hydrogen projects in Australia, Taiwan and other countries. 

HDRE will subscribe 9.7% of newly issued ordinary shares by ZEN for A$43m, while ZEN will provide long-term tolling agreements. This values ZEN at $443m on a 100%, post-money basis. 

The ZEN/HDRE partnership will focus on developing storage assets in Australia, in Taiwan and potentially other countries such as Japan. In May, ZEN entered into a partnership with DGA Energy Solutions to develop green hydrogen initiatives to support Mitsubishi Corporation’s decarbonisation goals. 

The signing of the partnership follows a co-operation deed with HDRE in June this year to collaborate on energy storage developments and green hydrogen projects. 

HDRE is a Taiwan- listed renewable energy company (current market cap of A$1.3bn) with business across Solar and BESS development, green energy retailing and distributed energy (EV charging, behind the meter assets).  

ZEN’s initial co-operation deed sign in June involved developing up to 500MW of offtake commitments to bolster its energy portfolio and facilitate new project site acquisitions.  

Quotes attributable to Anthony Garnaut, ZEN CEO: 

“We know that partnerships with like-minded organisations like HDRE are key to a successful and just renewable transition for all. 

“Our strategy is to focus on storage asset development and operation to hedge against intermittency of renewable generation, such as the major wind drought that occurred in April/May this year. 

“It has been a difficult year, as many involved in the renewable transition have experienced. This significant partnership with HDRE, new long term Power Purchasing Agreements with Acciona and Enel, and long term customer agreements with blue chip customers such as SBS have counter-balanced a challenging financial landscape in 2024.” 

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au 

18 October 2024.

‘Female power’ is shaping South Australia’s clean energy transition and the previously male-dominated energy industry as well.

This significant industry change was on full display during a panel discussion led by Professor Ross Garnaut at the Women in Energy forum in Adelaide, hosted by ElectraNet and ZEN Energy, yesterday.

Three of South Australia’s most important energy organisations – ElectraNet, the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) and the Office of Hydrogen Power SA – have women in their senior leadership positions. These key leaders spoke to a room full of people from across the energy sector about the guiding influence women have had on male-dominated politics and energy policy over the past decade.

“Women have been increasingly front and centre of South Australia’s clean energy transition, shaping the solutions that the state needed following the 2016 statewide blackout,” ElectraNet Chair Dr Julie Beeby said.

In 2017, while South Australia was accelerating its take up of rooftop solar, SACOME CEO Rebecca Knol alerted the government to the vital importance of storage infrastructure to ‘firm’ or stabilise the electricity grid.

“We developed what turned out to be a significant and influential policy document that emphasised the growing importance of storage in the energy debate and called for all political stakeholders to support storage options that would improve the reliability of intermittent renewable energy generation and supply in South Australia,” Ms Knol said.

“Well before the 2017 ‘tweet that changed South Australia’, ZEN had been advocating for the need for a big battery, a grid-scale battery,” the company’s Chief Financial Officer Phillipa Chen said.

“ZEN could see that if you were really going to solve South Australia’s energy problem, you needed a firming capability at grid-scale, while dealing with everything else in parallel.

“We worked with the South Australian government to develop early concepts and then things accelerated beyond imagining, when Elon Musk took up Mike Cannon-Brooke’s challenge to deliver a 100MW battery within 100 days.”

Dr Beeby joined ElectraNet in 2023 and said the $2.3 billion Project Energy-Connect link from South Australia to NSW is pivotal to delivering on the government’s accelerated 2027 renewable energy target.

“We have made it a priority at ElectraNet to have an achievable plan in place to support South Australia’s transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2027. We are proud to have completed construction on the South Australian component of Project EnergyConnect, which will be a transformational project for not just our state but the whole of the National Electricity Market,” she said.

Nicola McFarlane, Chief Operating Officer at the Office of Hydrogen Power SA, said the next stage of the state’s energy transition will see opportunities for regional South Australians.

“By investing in hydrogen and renewables, we’re opening doors for job creation and industry development in regional communities,” Ms McFarlane said.

Construction of a world-leading hydrogen plant at Whyalla is set to start before the end of the year.

“Harnessing our state’s abundant renewable energy at the hydrogen facility will not only help us reach our 100 per cent renewables target and help stabilise the grid, it will also pave the way for the production of green steel and green iron, establishing South Australia as a hub for sustainable manufacturing,” Ms McFarlane said.

The Women in Energy Forum was jointly hosted by ElectraNet and ZEN Energy at Immersive Light and Art (ILA), a social venture initiative, in Adelaide.

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, ZEN Energy, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au