Key TakeawaysSomeva Renewables has acquired the Hills of Gold wind farm and 100 MW battery from Engie.The project is facing a legal appeal from the Tamworth Regional Council against its state development approval.Someva aims to defend the project in court while continuing community engagement.
The troubled Hills of Gold wind project proposed for near Nundle in the New England region of New South Wales has new owners and a new plan to take the “important” project forward, starting with defending it against an appeal in the Land and Environment Court.
NSW-based and 100 per cent Australian owned Someva Renewables announced on Friday that it acquired 100 per cent of the 372 megawatt (MW) Hills of Gold Wind wind project and 100 MW battery from French renewables giant Engie.
Someva says it is well-placed to take carriage of the 62-turbine wind and storage project, having worked alongside its original owner, Clean Energy Partners, and Engie on the project since 2017.
“In that time we have been deeply involved in the project leading development works, supporting community engagement, planning approvals, the landowner consultation and agreement process, procurement, grid connection assessment, layout design, wind monitoring and transport arrangements,” a statement from Someva said on Friday.
The timing of the acquisition is interesting, however, with the project headed to court to fight an appeal against its state development approval, awarded in September last year by the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
The court challenge is now being led by the Tamworth Regional Council, which in November last year voted both to seek to overturn the NSW approval in the state’s Land and Environment Court and to petition the federal environment minister to reject it, with an EPBC decision still pending.
Initially the legal challenge was mounted by Hills of Gold Preservation Inc, but earlier this year the council was left carrying the can on the lawsuit after the resident and landholder group pulled out.
The hotly contested project has been the centre of a bitter dispute between supporters and opponents that has dragged on for years, sparking a “Not in Nundle” campaign and featuring in an ABC 4 Corners investigation into wind planning issues.
Hills of Gold first won a recommendation from the NSW government planning department in late 2023, but for only 47 turbines, and a shrunken capacity of 290MW, down from 64 turbines in its final application and the 97 turbines originally contemplated.
Then project owner, Engie, initially welcomed that decision, but a few months later applied for 15 of the 17 turbines that had been removed by the department to be reinstated, arguing that without them the project was not commercially viable.
The IPC – to whom the project was referred because of the number of objections – found Engie’s argument to be supported by independent research, and resumed its assessment of the project based on a revised 62 turbine proposal. IPC approval followed – and then the legal challenge.
The council’s objections range from concerns about access roads, land degradation, a lack of social licence, and failures to close deals with landowners who will be affected by the project.
Despite all of this, Someva managing director Jamie Chivers says the local renewables developer is “proud to have acquired” Hills of Gold and ready to fight to uphold its state approval.
“We believe the proposed Hills of Gold Wind Farm is an important project for the local community and for NSW’s energy transition,” Chivers said on Friday.
“It is a well-situated project with a quality wind resource, has been optimised through years of local collaboration and community engagement.
“An immediate focus for Someva will be defending the project against an appeal in the Land and Environment Court challenging the NSW Independent Planning Commission’s approval,” Chivers added.
“We believe the Tamworth Regional Council’s decision to continue this appeal is a questionable use of local ratepayers’ money.”
Chivers says that, court case aside, Someva’s main priority is to continue to meet with the project’s hosts, near neighbours and local stakeholders – something the company’s executive team has been doing in Nundle and surrounds this week, ahead of the acquisition announcement.
Engie – which acquired Hills of Gold from CEP in 2020 – said on Friday that the ownership transition will allow it to prioritise other projects in its development pipeline, and to deliver its target of more than 3 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable and storage capacity in Australia by 2030.
“Hills of Gold is a well-situated project with a quality wind resource, which has been optimised through years of community engagement, permitting and approvals, and a comprehensive review” by the IPC, Engie Australia managing director of renewables and batteries, Laura Caspari, said in a statement.
“Engie is proud of our conduct in community and our perseverance in progressing Hills of Gold Wind Farm to this stage,” Caspari adds, noting that the project has provided almost $100,000 in sponsorship to local events, projects and organisations since 2022.
Someva also notes that, despite being sent to the IPC due to objection numbers, the Hills of Gold wind farm has also attracted hundreds of submissions in support of the project over its time in the planning pipeline.
“Over the years we’ve seen strong community support for the project, including through hundreds of supportive local submissions during the EIS process,” Someva development director Tim Mead told Renew Economy.
“In particular, we know there is strong support for the project from the local business community in Nundle and across the region who recognise the economic opportunities the proposed wind farm could bring to the region.
“We want to thank all those who have stood up in support of the project in the past and we look forward to defending the project against an appeal in the Land and Environment Court over the weeks and months ahead.”
