ACEN has teamed up with the Yindjibarndi people, the traditional owners in Western Australia, to develop, and operate large-scale renewable energy projects in the Pilbara region, Western Australia.
The partnership builds on the renewable energy company, and the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corp. (YAC) jointly forming the Yindjibarndi Energy Corp. (YEC), in June last year.
YEC, led by ACEN-appointed director and chairman Anton Rohner, and Yindjibarndi-appointed director Craig Ricato, aims to advance renewable energy projects on Yindjibarndi Ngurra.
The partnership will see both parties developing up to 3GW of wind, solar, and energy storage projects on Yindjibarndi Ngurra, within the Yindjibarndi Native Title Determination Areas.
It is subject to Yindjibarndi approval for all proposed project sites on Yindjibarndi Ngurra, and Yindjibarndi owns 25% to 50% equity participation in all projects.
The agreement also includes preferred contracting for Yindjibarndi-owned businesses, along with training and employment for Yindjibarndi people.
YAC chief executive Michael Woodley said: “We know that our country is well located for renewable energy development, so we made the decision early to lead. We established a small team and set out to find a partner with the right capabilities and values, which led us to ACEN.
“The agreement with ACEN means that the Yindjibarndi people can actively participate in Australia’s renewable energy transition in a significant way that provides long-term economic benefits to our community, whilst also ensuring that we can protect and preserve all areas within Yindjibarndi Ngurra which are of cultural, spiritual, and environmental significance to us.
“The partnership will also create sustainable, long-term training and employment opportunities in the country for our people.”
YEC initially aims to have 750MW of combined wind, solar, and battery storage under construction within the next few years, entailing more than A$1bn ($676m) investment.
The renewable energy produced will exceed the current output of WA’s largest coal-fired power station, further stages will target an additional 2GW to 3GW of combined capacity in future.
ACEN is an established player in Australia’s renewable energy sector and contributes significantly to the country’s clean energy transition and sustainability goals.
Its commitment to developing and operating renewable energy assets will further strengthen Australia’s position as in renewable energy producer, said the company.
ACEN International CEO Patrice Clausse said: “We feel deeply honoured by the trust the Yindjibarndi community has bestowed upon ACEN to work collaboratively with them in exploring development opportunities on their lands.
“The Pilbara region is home to some of the largest industrial energy users globally, many of whom have expressed their desire to transition to a carbon-neutral future.
“We are actively engaged in promising dialogues with potential off-take customers to purchase renewable energy.”
