Macquarie Asset Management launches onshore renewable energy business Aula Energy
Macquarie Asset Management’s specialist Green Investments team has launched Aula Energy, an onshore renewable energy business designed to attract long-term investment capital.
Aula Energy plans to develop, build and operate utility-scale wind, solar and integrated battery projects across the Australian and New Zealand markets to create a diversified portfolio of actively managed green energy generation assets for the future.
Initial portfolio with expected capacity of 4 GW* of planned projects can support the energy transition by helping to increase renewable energy capacity in the grid.
The platform is the latest in Macquarie Asset Management’s suite of specialist businesses that seek to contribute to the energy transition, which also span platforms focused on global offshore wind, European solar, pan-Asian renewables and stand-alone battery storage, responding to investor demand for long-term opportunities in diversified portfolios of renewable energy assets.
Macquarie Asset Management has today launched a new onshore renewable energy business, Aula Energy.
Aula Energy brings together Macquarie’s 17-year track record of investing in the renewable energy sector with a strong local team experienced in developing and commercialising onshore renewables.
Aula Energy will seek to build and grow a long-term business to meet future energy needs using market leading capabilities to originate, develop, construct and operate utility-scale wind, solar and integrated batteries across the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The business will be led by Chad Hymas, who brings 20 years of experience in the energy industry across strategy, growth, regulation, operations, and finance.
“A powerful collaboration with partners will deliver on Aula Energy’s vision to be a leading green independent power producer in Australia and New Zealand that is trusted and committed to providing sustainable energy, energy for the future,” Mr Hymas said.
“Key to Aula Energy’s approach will be the long-term sustainable development of these assets. We believe it’s through partnerships that we can have the most impact. That’s why we will prioritise long-term relationships and meaningful collaboration in developing our projects,” he said.
Lachlan Creswell, head of Macquarie Asset Management’s specialist Green Investments team for Australia and New Zealand said Aula Energy will diversify and expand its onshore portfolio.
“Aula Energy offers Australian and international investors exposure to a unique and diversified portfolio at an important time for renewable energy markets in the region, in the context of increasing demand from commercial and industrial off-takers.
“The energy transition in Australia requires an acceleration in the deployment of new renewable generation. Macquarie Asset Management’s specialist Green Investments team is a global leader in decarbonisation solutions, and we are excited to expand this work through Aula Energy.
“The Aula Energy team’s experience, and long-term partnership approach to the creation and management of renewable energy projects will be underpinned by access to long-term capital,” he said.
Aula Energy’s initial portfolio has an expected capacity of 4 GW* of planned projects spanning every state in Australia and each asset will have grid connection potential.
In terms of project specifics, construction of Boulder Creek Wind Farm near Rockhampton, Queensland, is expected to begin in 2024.
The initial portfolio includes a series of large-scale onshore wind farms in Western Australia totalling up to 2.4GW*. These projects, to be developed in partnership with Green Wind Renewables, are in the early stages of development.
Aula Energy’s expected portfolio includes developments in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, the details of which will be announced as they progress.
The Aula Energy business model has been designed to span the full “develop, build, own, operate” project lifecycle while continually sourcing a pipeline of new projects and innovating as customer requirements, technologies, markets, and policies evolve.
The Aula Energy platform sits alongside Macquarie Asset Management’s suite of specialist businesses which have been created in response to growing demand from Australia and internationally for investment opportunities in diversified renewable portfolios, including:
Blueleaf Energy, a pan-Asian Renewable energy platform (2018)
Cero Generation, a solar energy developer across Europe (2021)
Corio Generation, a global specialist offshore wind portfolio company (2022)
Eku Energy, a global battery storage platform (2022)
* Estimate based on current planned projects and 100% generating capacity of each project. As such this indicative renewable generation capacity is not guaranteed.