ACEN Australia is the Australian renewable energy business of ACEN, developing, building and operating solar, wind, battery and pumped hydro projects across the country. A wholly owned subsidiary of ACEN (PSE: ACEN), the listed energy platform of the Ayala group, ACEN Australia works with host landholders, First Nations groups and regional communities to bring large-scale renewable energy into operation.
What ACEN Australia does
The company covers the full project lifecycle — site development, financing, construction and long-term operation. It has more than 1 GW of operating capacity in Australia and more than 13 GW of solar, wind, battery and pumped hydro projects in its development pipeline, supplying clean electricity into the grid for Australian homes and businesses.
ACEN Australia has more than 140 team members, based in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. The business is guided by four stated values:
- People — in it together, caring about what the company does, how it does it, and about each other.
- Community — long-term partners making a collaborative, enduring and positive contribution in the communities where it works.
- Environment — proactive stewards, minimising overall impact on the natural environment in everything the company does.
- Industry excellence — a force for positive change, pushing the boundaries of traditional industry thinking to build modern projects for modern energy needs.
Operating projects
New England Solar Stage 1
Located near Uralla in the New England region of New South Wales, New England Solar is a 720 MW (AC) project approved by the NSW Government and built in two stages. Stage 1 is 400 MW (AC) and was officially opened in March 2023, requiring the installation of close to a million solar panels. It is one of Australia's largest solar projects participating in the National Electricity Market, and was built on a fully merchant basis to be online in time to help replace closing coal-fired generation in New South Wales. Around 80 per cent of the peak construction workforce of up to 400 people came from the New England region.
Stubbo Solar
Stubbo Solar is an A$760 million, 400 MW project about 10 km north of Gulgong in central-west New South Wales, with capacity to produce enough clean energy to power 185,000 Australian households. It became the first solar generator backed by a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) to reach full commercial operation, and the first large-scale solar project certified for full circularity under the Circular PV Alliance framework, under which all 930,000 of its panels will be reused or recycled at end of life. PCL Construction served as engineering, procurement and construction contractor, and Lumea partnered with ACEN Australia on connection to the New South Wales electricity network. The project has been added to an AUD 750 million non-recourse portfolio debt facility.
In construction and in development
New England Solar Stage 2 and the New England Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are in construction in the New England region of New South Wales. ACEN Australia's development pipeline covers wind, solar, battery and pumped hydro projects:
- Aquila Wind
- Birriwa Solar and Battery — successful in the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) round 7 tender
- Cooma Solar
- Corack East Wind
- Deeargee Solar
- Lilyvale BESS
- Narragamba Solar
- North East Wind
- Phoenix Pumped Hydro — the first LTESA-backed pumped hydro project, declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) by the NSW Government
- Robbins Island and Jim's Plain Wind
- Valley of the Winds
- Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation
Community and First Nations partnerships
ACEN Australia's approach is to build renewable energy projects in partnership with local communities. Its voluntary social investment program at Uralla, Uralla Grants, is administered with the support of a Community Reference Group and has funded 56 individual community projects, events and programs with $200,000 over three years; the Development Consent for New England Solar commits the company to contributing more than $5 million in community contributions over 25 years.
During construction of Stubbo Solar, ACEN Australia invested nearly $85 million across the New South Wales economy, including almost $60 million in jobs, supply and contracts awarded to locals and businesses within the Mid-Western Regional Council area and the immediately adjacent council areas. The project also invested A$3.2 million with First Nations businesses and more than A$400,000 in community development initiatives. ACEN Australia partners with UNIQ You to expand career pathways for high school girls into renewable energy careers.
Sustainability, structure and offices
ACEN Australia's inaugural Sustainability Strategy sets out its approach to the energy transition beyond megawatts, and its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan, launched in December 2025, formalises its work with First Nations peoples. The company acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the nation, and pays its respects to Elders past and present.
ACEN Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACEN, the Ayala group's listed energy platform and one of the fastest-growing renewable energy platforms in Asia Pacific, with the Philippines as its largest market and a presence in Australia, Vietnam, India and Lao PDR, alongside strategic investments in Indonesia and other markets. ACEN is targeting 100 per cent renewable energy generation and Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Head office is at Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and regional offices in Coolah, Gulgong and Uralla in New South Wales and Smithton in Tasmania. Supplier and procurement opportunities are advertised progressively through dedicated ICN Gateway project pages, and project-specific contact details are published on the company's website. General enquiries can be directed to [email protected].