News Synopsis
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Project: Hazelwood North Solar Farm and Battery
Capacity: 450 MW solar + 1,800 MWh four-hour BESS
Location: Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia
Partners: Gamuda Renewables and Manthos Investments
Technology: Solar PV with BESS
Future Expansion: Potential co-located data center powered by on-site solar and BESS
Jobs: Approximately 450 local construction jobs
Status: Approved; construction scheduled to begin in 2028
Transaction: Gamuda Renewables acquired a stake, subject to FIRB approval
Gamuda Renewables, a clean energy business unit of Malaysian engineering enterprise Gamuda Berhad has acquired a stake in the Hazelwood North solar and battery project in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. This is the company's first renewable energy investment in the Australian state. The approved project includes a 450 MW solar farm and a 4-hour battery energy storage system with 1,800 MWh of capacity.
The facility will be developed close to the old Hazelwood power plant; a location deeply rooted in the region's traditional coal industry. While development work is expected to commence in 2028, the transaction must first clear Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).
Hazelwood North is being developed with Manthos Investments, a local, family-owned Latrobe Valley business that originally proposed and advanced the project. The partners are also assessing an expansion of the project to support a co-located data centre. By using a direct-supply layout, an on-site data hub could run straight off the local solar farm and battery system. This setup lowers the facility's dependence on the main power network while letting the battery handle any daily changes in energy use.
According to Jarred Hardman, the chief strategy and development officer at Gamuda Renewables, the project represents a major step forward for their footprint in Victoria. He explained that Hazelwood North is not just their first asset in the state, but a clear example of where the broader energy transition is going.
Hardman also pointed out that looking into a possible data hub expansion is a main focus for the next stage of development. He noted that hooking up large-scale clean energy and storage directly to digital systems that need it just makes sense, making it a strategy the team is eager to map out soon.
Local employment will also get a major lift from the development. The companies expect construction to create roughly 450 jobs, offering fresh economic opportunities to a community historically reliant on coal and heavy industry.
George Labros from Manthos pointed out how the development ties clean energy together with local industrial and digital growth, adding that blending Gamuda's expertise with the region's existing assets and a new data hub will bring a long-term financial lift to the community.
While Hazelwood North marks Gamuda's Victorian debut, the company is already expanding its reach across Australia. In Tasmania, it is developing the 200 MW Weasel solar farm and the 350 MW Cellars Hill wind and storage project, both backed by the federal government’s Capacity Investment Scheme.
The company is already ahead of schedule on its original Australian timeline, beating its 2029 goal of 2 GW. Looking forward, the developer is now tracking toward a larger 5 GW pipeline by 2031. Gamuda has also secured early contractor involvement contracts for the 900 MW Oven Mountain, and 750 MW Capricornia pumped hydro projects.
The Hazelwood North battery will be part of the rapidly expanding storage projects in Latrobe Valley. There are existing batteries like the 150MW/150MWh Hazelwood battery, as well as the 350MW/1400MWh Woreen battery which is being built by EnergyAustralia, one of the country's energy providers. Recently, TagEnergy has received planning approval for a 1000MW/4000MWh battery near Morwell.
The project reflects the growing role of hybrid renewable energy assets in Australia’s power system. By combining solar generation, battery storage and potential direct supply to a data centre, Hazelwood North is positioned to support firm renewable power, local economic transition and greater flexibility in Victoria’s electricity network.