Wind farm developer Nexif Energy to begin construction on first stage of $450 million Lincoln Gap wind farm creating up to 130 jobs

DEVELOPERS of a $450 million wind farm near Port Augusta say construction will start within weeks and have announced a 10MW battery will also be part of the mix.

Up to 130 jobs are expected to be created from construction of a $450 million wind farm at Lincoln Gap near Port Augusta.

DEVELOPERS of a $450 million wind farm near Port Augusta say construction will start within weeks and have announced a 10MW battery will also be part of the mix.

Singapore power producer Nexif Energy has closed a finance deal with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Investec to provide $190 million towards the $300 million first stage of the Lincoln Gap Windfarm.

The initial stage, to be built on a plateau next to the Eyre Highway, is capable of generating 126MW and will be paired with a 10MW battery storage unit.

A further stage will add another 86MW in wind power delivering enough electricity to power around 155,000 homes once the project is fully operational.

Nexic Energy Australia executive director Zeki Akbas said construction of the wind farm is expected to begin by the end of this month.

“Reaching financial close means work can soon start on the ground to bring this long-

planned project to fruition,” he said.

“Nexif Energy has worked meticulously to develop a highly productive, innovative and

practical renewable power model which is attractive to investors because of the real and

sustainable benefits it will bring to customers and communities.”

The 59 wind turbine project and battery storage power will generate an average workforce of between 110-130 people. The company says more than half would be sourced from SA.

The project has been underwritten by deals with ERM Power and Snowy Hydro.

“Our partnerships with CEFC and Investec for finance, ERM for LGC sales, Snowy Hydro for

electricity sales and Senvion for construction and operations underpin our steady but

efficient path taken to achieve financial closure and delivery of the wind farm” Mr Akbas said.

The company said the inclusion of 10MW battery storage at the wind farm as part of a major new development to more reliably integrate renewable energy into the National Electricity Market, with the large-scale battery delivering fast response storage capacity.

CEFC wind sector lead Andrew Gardner said the project demonstrated a shift towards a stronger more integrated grid by incorporating latest technology at a greenfield site.

Nexif Energy was established in August 2015 by Nexif, a Singapore-based independent

power management company, and Denham Capital, a leading global energy-focused private

equity firm with more than $9.0 billion of invested and committed capital across eight fund

vehicles.