AMPYR Australia acquires 100% of Wellington battery project from Shell

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Date published 31.01.25
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SYDNEY, 3 February 2025 – AMPYR Australia (AMPYR) has announced it has acquired Shell Energy Australia’s (Shell) 50 percent stake in the Wellington Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) stage 1 (300 MW / 600 MWh) energy storage project. With its Wellington BESS stage 2 (100 MW / 400 MWh), AMPYR now owns 100 percent of the 1,000 MWh Wellington project.

AMPYR and Shell had been joint venture partners in the New South Wales project since October 2022. AMPYR will now accelerate development of both stages, aiming for energization of stage 1 in 2026, with stage 2 to follow in 2027. Wellington BESS stage 1 has received planning and grid approvals and is in the final stages of procurement and financing.

One of the largest BESS in the region, the Wellington BESS will contribute to improved grid reliability, enable more renewable energy generation, and lower energy costs for consumers in New South Wales.

“Reliable, cost-competitive electricity is a cornerstone of Australia’s economic growth. AMPYR’s mission is to enable Australia’s future industries to benefit from the clean energy transition,” said AMPYR CEO Alex Wonhas. “We’re grateful for Shell’s contributions to the Wellington BESS project, and we are excited about accelerating its development to bring this vital project to market.”

AMPYR Australia develops, invests in and delivers renewable energy projects to power Australia’s future industries. AMPYR Australia is on track to own and operate 3 GW of energy storage in Australia by 2030 and is part of AMPYR Energy, a global renewable energy group developing 12 GW of projects across 7 countries on 4 continents.

AMPYR Energy is the global renewable energy platform of AGP Sustainable Real Assets (AGP), an independent investor and asset management group that finances, develops, and operates transformative infrastructure and real assets globally, with a strong commitment to sustainability and a clear focus on driving a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions future.

Over the past 3 months, AMPYR Australia has invested heavily in its new leadership team:

• Alex Wonhas is AMPYR’s CEO and one of Australia’s leading energy experts. Before joining AMPYR, Alex led System Design at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), where he oversaw the development of the Integrated System Plan (ISP), Australia’s 30-year energy transition roadmap. He was also instrumental in establishing the first grid service batteries in Australia, including the 300 MW / 450 MWh Victorian Big Battery. Prior to AEMO, Alex led the global energy and resources work at Aurecon, an engineering firm.

• Jialin Shen is AMPYR’s Energy Solutions Director and leads the development of innovative, sustainable energy solutions for the company’s data centre customers and partners, as well as its large-scale utility business. With 16 years’ experience across Australia, Europe and Asia, Jialin has worked in M&A, risk management, trading, strategy and business development. Prior to joining AMPYR, Jialin served as General Manager of Customer Solutions for Shell Energy Australia, structuring long-term renewable energy solutions for clients. Jialin also led Shell Australia’s mining electrification and hydrogen business development. Before that, she was the lead UK power originator for Shell Energy Europe, and the head of business development for Limejump, Shell’s UK Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform.

• Anthony Yeates is AMPYR’s Head of Projects, leading the delivery of utility-scale renewable energy projects, managing EPC tender processes, grid connection agreements, and construction. Prior to joining AMPYR, Anthony served as Executive General Manager Development for Tilt Renewables and Ratch Australia, leading the development and delivery of some of Australia’s largest and most complex renewable energy projects.

• Brad Hopkins is a Partner of AGP Sustainable Real Assets with responsibility for AMPYR Australia, a part of AGP’s global renewable energy infrastructure platform. Brad has more than 20 years’ experience financing energy projects around the world, including 12 years with Macquarie Bank. Prior to joining AGP, Brad worked at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Services as General Manager – Commercial, responsible for the Commercial Team in charge of the design and implementation of competitive tender processes across Australia. Before AEMO Services, Brad was a Partner at KPMG leading a large corporate finance team and played a key role in designing and implementing critical Australian energy policy initiatives.