Port Augusta wind farm developer Nexif Energy signs $160m finance deal, will boost output by 86MW

The second stage of a $480 million wind farm near Port Augusta has been given the green light, with its developer securing a deal to increase capacity.

• Developer to begin first stage of Lincoln Gap Wind Farm
• Close to $3bn invested in major SA renewable energy projects

The second stage of a $480 million wind farm near Port Augusta has been given the green light, with its developer securing a $160 million finance deal.

The next phase of the Lincoln Gap Wind Farm, located approximately 15km west of Port Augusta, will add an additional 86MW of capacity to the 126MW currently under construction.

Singapore developer Nexif Energy has closed a $160 million debt deal with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and infrastructure investment company Westbourne Capital to support expansion of the project.

It will support more than 110 construction jobs for an additional 18 months at the site.

Nexif co-chief executive Matthew Bartley said the project would include 10MW of grid-scale battery storage, while longer term plans could include the introduction of solar generation at the site.

“This is a continuation of our investment in South Australia where we are incredibly excited to be investing, and to be at the forefront with the first unsubsidised battery storage project for the state,’’ he said.

“There remains potential to further expand Lincoln Gap and we are now working on feasibility studies to determine how large that could be, as well as trying to bring technologies together to add solar to the wind energy and battery storage at Lincoln Gap to create a genuine hybrid energy hub.”

When complete, the Lincoln Gap Wind Farm will accommodate 59 turbines, generating 212MW of electricity — enough to power 155,000 households.

The project is being built on farmland, on a raised plateau next to the Eyre Highway, and has been underwritten by deals with ERM Power and Snowy Hydro.

It is expected to offset approximately 680,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Nexif co-chief executive Surender Singh said construction of the second stage of the project would commence shortly, with the project expected to be operational by the middle of next year.

“Through this path-breaking integration of renewable wind power generation with battery storage system, Nexif Energy and its financiers have a committed investment of over $480 million, making it among the largest investors in South Australia.” he said.

“We also look forward to working closely with construction partners Senvion and Fluence for on time completion.”

The first stage of the Lincoln Gap project was backed by $190 million in funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Investec.

Nexif Energy was established in August 2015 by Singapore-based power management company Nexif and energy-focused private equity firm Denham Capital.