Snowy Hydro has advanced its renewable energy plan considerably with these moves by signing several long-term agreements. The company recently locked in a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for its Carmody’s Hill Wind Farm. Commercial power supply is expected to start in early 2029. This pact will support Snowy Hydro’s announced plans for rapid retail load growth, especially concentrated in South Australia.
Snowy Hydro has locked in a 15-year virtual tolling deal with Akaysha Energy. This new partnership includes a 311MW Energy Storage System (BESS), adding to their previous wind farm VPP partnership. This partnership entails an initial commitment of 220MW of four hour capacity. The other significant agreement is for the Golden Plains BESS, which is expected to come online in late 2027. When combined, these agreements provide 325MW of battery storage. This greatly enhances Snowy Hydro’s ability to deliver affordable energy solutions to more customers from all walks of life.
Investments in Wind and Battery Storage
The PPA for Carmody’s Hill Wind Farm is a significant step forward, not just for Snowy Hydro, but Aula Energy. This partnership is a testimony to both companies’ commitment to providing the most reliable, renewable energy available.
“Securing this PPA with Snowy is a major step forward for Carmody’s Hill Wind Farm and for our commitment to deliver reliable, renewable energy in South Australia.” – Chad Hymas, CEO of Aula Energy
The anticipated supply starts as early as first quarter of 2029. This agreement will be key to Snowy Hydro’s continued growth and development in the area.
The promise to create an integrated battery storage operation fits very well into Snowy Hydro’s planned diversification of its service delivery. The company hopes to strike a balance in its shift to renewable energy with the ability to pivot and provide reliable energy supply as well.
Enhancing Energy Solutions
Snowy Hydro’s contracts expose its strategy for generation and retailing to the Australian Energy Market Operator. To adapt on-demand power to new, renewable forms of energy, the company is integrating pumped hydro energy storage. This is the right approach to realize the integration of more distributed renewable resources.
“Our unmatched mix of on-demand power and pumped hydro energy storage is what makes renewables work, enabling three times the clean wind and solar to come online.” – [source]
This integrated capability will provide Snowy Hydro with an advantage in profitable customer service delivery to mass-market customers as well as large-scale commercial and industrial clients. The introduction of their new energy storage solutions emphasizes the company’s focus on offering sources of sustainable electricity.
“The addition of large-scale energy storage at Golden Plains is another important step forward in achieving a more secure and flexible supply of clean electricity for the people of Victoria.” – Andrew Riggs, Managing Partner at TagEnergy
Future Growth and Retail Expansion
Snowy Hydro is behind a major and controversial expansion into the sector. These patriotic contracts are key to powering its explosive retail growth. The publicly-owned company works diligently to serve their 1.6 million retail customers. With this achievement it cements its stellar place as Australia’s largest wholesaler and retailer in Australia.
“These new contracts enhance our role as an end-to-end generator and retailer, supporting the strong growth of Snowy’s retail brands.” – [source]
By investing in both wind and battery storage infrastructure, Snowy Hydro is positioning itself for future growth while contributing significantly to Australia’s renewable energy landscape.