ACEN ramps up operations to boost Australian portfolio
SYDNEY, Australia — Ayala-led ACEN Corp. is expecting growth in its Australian portfolio as it ramps up operations over the next three years.
According to Jose Maria Zabaleta, ACEN Australia executive chairman, the company expects to build around two gigawatts direct current (GWdc) of renewable energy (RE) operating capacity through its three projects.
“ACEN Australia has an extensive development pipeline across the National Electricity Market (NEM). This positions ACEN to help achieve Australia’s energy transition objectives and reflects our long-term goals and commitments,” he said.
The NEM is Australia’s wholesale electricity market, where retailers trade power by interconnecting five regional markets.
The recent start of operations for the 520-megawatt direct current (MWdc) Stubbo Solar facility in New South Wales is expected to power up to 185,000 average households. This follows the newly integrated 522-MWdc New England Solar 1, which began operations in the first half of 2024.
Additionally, the company is slated to begin development on the 780-MWdc Birriwa Solar project and its 600-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS). The 900-MW Valley of the Winds project is also expected to contribute to the company’s portfolio growth.
ACEN is also constructing a BESS with an anticipated capacity of 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) that will connect with the New England Solar project.
In the first half of the year, the Australian firm recorded ₱1.3 billion in attributable revenues.
Meanwhile, the group’s 600-MW Monsoon Wind project in Vietnam recently reached commercial operations. This makes it the first cross-border RE project in Asia and the largest onshore wind project in Southeast Asia. The development was initiated by Impact Electrons Siam (IES) and was developed and managed by Monsoon Wind Power Co. Ltd.
The project is located on a 68,000-hectare (ha) plot of land in the Dak Cheung District of Sekong Province and the Sanxay District of Attapeu Province.
ACEN currently has less than seven gigawatts (GW) of attributable RE capacity, including assets that are operational, under construction, and committed projects.