CIP acquires 408MW Gawara Baya wind and storage project in Australia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 31, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its fifth flagship fund Copenhagen Infrastructure V (CI V), acquired the Gawara Baya wind and storage project in Queensland, Australia, from Windlab. The project has obtained major approvals, and CI V has simultaneously made the Final Investment Decision (FID) and achieved financial close, securing A$1.7 billion in financing from 10 banks. The project has officially transitioned from the development phase to the construction phase, with full commercial operation planned for 2030. The transaction amount was not disclosed.

Gawara Baya is located approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Ingham, Queensland. The latest construction plan includes a 408MW onshore wind farm and a 104MW grid-forming battery energy storage system, comprising a total of 68 wind turbine generators. According to project parameters published by CIP, once operational, the project is expected to meet the electricity demand of approximately 240,000 households, with an estimated annual emissions reduction of approximately 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 from power generation.

The project was previously developed by Windlab, receiving Queensland development approval in August 2023 and Australian federal environmental approval in June 2024. The federal environmental approval permits the construction, operation, and decommissioning of up to 69 wind turbines and associated infrastructure. In March 2026, the relevant EPBC environmental approval was transferred from Upper Burdekin Wind Farm Holdings Pty Ltd to Gawara Baya Wind Farm Pty Ltd. Windlab had already begun mobilizing contractors and preparing early construction work packages in April this year.

The project has also been accepted into Australia's Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS). In the CIS Tender 4 project list published by the Australian government in 2025, Gawara Baya was registered with a wind capacity of 399MW at the time, paired with a 104MW/217MWh battery energy storage system; the latest wind capacity adopted in CIP's acquisition announcement is 408MW. The project has signed long-term power purchase agreements including with Stanwell and SmartestEnergy.

On the construction front, Symal previously secured the civil Balance of Plant contract for the Gawara Baya wind farm, with a contract value of approximately A$347 million, covering civil works and related infrastructure construction for the project. Symal's project recruitment postings from July this year indicate that its construction plan corresponds to 68 wind turbines and approximately 400MW of wind capacity, with the project now entering the phase of on-site engineering staffing.

During the early development phase, Windlab estimated that project construction would generate more than A$200 million in regional procurement, employment, and supply chain expenditure. CIP's latest project arrangements have updated the number of direct and indirect jobs during the construction period to a maximum of approximately 500. The project has also signed a land use agreement with the Gugu Badhun Aboriginal Corporation and has already initiated engagement with local suppliers and construction workforce.