Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the world's largest IKEA retailer, has made its first renewable energy investment in Australia, taking a 15 per cent stake in the EUR 1.3bn stage one of TagEnergy’s Golden Plains Wind Farm near Geelong.
The move comes as Ingka Investments accelerates investments in renewable energy, and circularity to support Ingka Group’s climate-science based targets, while growing the business and a commitment to reach net-zero by 2050 at the latest.
The overall project has a total planned capacity of 1.3GW and consists of two stages. Once complete, Golden Plains Wind Farm will provide sustainable energy for more than 750,000 homes.
Stage one consists of 756MW (122 turbines) with an expected annual production of over 2,000 GWh/yr. Pro-rata to the ownership stake, Ingka Investments will be able to claim up to 15% of the project output of electricity and Renewable Energy Attributes and link it to the local Ingka Climate Footprint.
TagEnergy and the original developer Westwind are also preparing for construction of stage two (576MW/93 turbines) and a 300MW battery storage facility that will add flexibility and stability to the electricity grid.
Entering a critical decade for climate action, Ingka Group, through its investment arm Ingka Investments has committed to expanding its investments in renewable energy to EUR 6.5 billion as the next step towards 100% renewable energy across the value chain. Since 2009, Ingka Investments has invested over EUR 3 billion into renewable energy projects in wind and solar power, enabling the group to generate more renewable energy than it consumes across its global operations. The aim is to produce 15TWh and support the group’s climate footprint reduction. It is now looking to expand its renewable energy portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region where Ingka Group has retail operations in Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea.
Peter van der Poel, managing director of Ingka Investments, says: “Sustainability investments are a growth sector, where doing good business and being a good business comes together, and therefore are also a core strategic priority for Ingka Group. It is about making the necessary investments to meet sustainability goals and support the IKEA transition to become climate positive and transition to a circular business model, through offering affordable solutions enabling people to live within the planetary boundaries. The investment also increases our ability to support value chain partners with renewable energy.”
Andrew Riggs, TagEnergy Managing Partner Australia, said attracting principled investment from a like-minded partner reflected the effectiveness of the company’s innovative business model and its commitment to helping the world reach net zero emissions sooner.
“We welcome Ingka Investments as a partner in its first renewable energy investment in Australia. Golden Plains 1 is a globally significant project that will accelerate the transition to net zero carbon emissions,” Mr Riggs said.
“We are proud to join forces with an innovative, global company that shares our belief in sustainable investments with purpose,” he said.
Closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Stage one of the project reached financial close in November 2022. All construction contracts are underway, and the facility is expected to be fully operating by the end of 2025.
About Ingka Group: With IKEA retail operations on 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.Ingka.com.
About TagEnergy: TagEnergy is a clean energy enterprise creating competitive clean power stations to accelerate the energy transition and help the world reach net-zero carbon emissions sooner. Since its formation in 2019, TagEnergy has assembled a portfolio of more than 3GW based on solar, wind and battery storage technologies in the UK, Portugal, Spain, France and Australia. Its first renewable energy project to go online, Hawkers Hill Energy Park battery storage facility in the UK, began operating in 2022. TagEnergy is controlled by the Impala SAS Group, supported by major investors Mirova and Omnes, and is operated by a team of entrepreneurs, all shareholders. Its operations span the renewables value chain, from development, financing, construction and asset management, to commercialisation of its competitive energy. www.tag-en.com.
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