Renewable infrastructure developer Gamuda Renewables Pty. Ltd. has entered the Victorian market by acquiring an interest in the 450-megawatt (MW) Hazelwood North solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) from Manthos Investments.
Spanning 1,100 hectares in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, the approved hybrid project is designed to pair up to 450MW of solar generation with a massive four-hour (1,800MWh) battery storage network.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power roughly 150,000 homes.
The major development has already secured fast-tracked planning approval through the Victorian government’s Development Facilitation Program.
Pending a final investment decision, construction is scheduled to commence in 2028, with commercial operations targeted for 2030.
The build is expected to inject a major economic boost into the region, creating approximately 450 local construction jobs.
Beyond its substantial generation capacity, a key dimension of the acquisition is the potential for future expansion. Gamuda Renewables and Manthos are actively exploring the co-location of a state-of-the-art data centre on the site.
Under this utility-neutral model, the data centre could be powered directly by the on-site solar array and battery storage. By utilising the BESS as a “shock absorber” during peak and low demand periods, the data centre could operate independently of the wider distribution network, relieving pressure on shared state transmission infrastructure.
Jarred Hardman, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Gamuda Renewables, said: “Hazelwood North marks a significant milestone for us — not only as our first Victorian asset, but as a project that captures exactly where the energy transition is heading.
“The opportunity to expand the project to include a data centre is something both Manthos and our team are genuinely excited about.
“Pairing large-scale renewable generation and storage with the digital infrastructure that increasingly depends on it is a compelling model, and one we look forward to progressing in the months ahead.”
The Latrobe Valley asset pushes Gamuda Renewables past its initial Australian target of 1–2GW by 2029, with the company now aiming for a 5GW portfolio by 2031.
The landmark transaction remains subject to final approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).