Overview
- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, which made a final investment decision and reached financial close on Monday, has taken full ownership of Gawara Baya and moved the project into construction.
- Gawara Baya pairs a 408 MW onshore wind farm with a 104 MW grid‑forming battery and 68 turbines, and is scheduled to be fully operational in 2030.
- The project secured a AUD 1.7 billion debt facility from a ten‑bank syndicate and long‑term offtake contracts with Stanwell and SmartestEnergy, and it is enrolled in the federal Capacity Investment Scheme to underwrite revenue.
- Developers say the project includes a negotiated Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Gugu Badhun People, a AU$200,000 annual community benefit fund, an expected AU$200 million local construction spend supporting about 500 jobs, and an initial AU$4 million biodiversity net‑gain pledge.
- Industry and government portray the financing as the biggest eastern seaboard wind deal to close since 2024 and a sign that policy tools like the Capacity Investment Scheme can attract international capital and deliver grid services as ageing thermal plants are retired.