Winner emerges for Australian Capital Territory wind auction

Australian Capital Territory has awarded the Hornsdale​ project a feed-in tariff for 100 megawatts of the available 200 megawatts in its second wind reverse-auction.

The first successful project in the ACT government's auction represents Australia's lowest known contract price for renewables at A$77 per megawatt hour.

The project, which also secured a guaranteed feed-in tariff contract in the government's first-round wind auction, has been developed by French renewable energy company Neoen International SAS, in partnership with Australian company Megawatt Capital Investments and British infrastructure developer John Laing.

The companies achieved financial closure for the first 100 MW phase of the Hornsdale Wind Farm 200 km north of Adelaide in South Australia in August 2015.

The wind farm has a capital value of approximately A$285 million (US$208.2 million). KfW IPEX-Bank and Societe Generale provided a long-term debt financing package worth A$195 million.

The sponsors have also signed contracts with Siemens for the supply of turbines, and the construction and long-term operation and maintenance of the project.