Gentari extends into renewable energy market following rebrand

Global clean energy solutions company Gentari officially rebranded renewable energy solutions provider WIRSOL Energy, following the completion of its full acquisition in February 2023. 

With the rebranding, WIRSOL Energy will now be known as Gentari Solar Australia. This firmly establishes and anchors Gentari as a developer with integrated solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) and asset management capability in the Australian renewable energy market, the company states.

Gentari Solar Australia currently has 422 MW in gross installed capacity and 765 MW in potential capacity within its late-stage project pipeline. 

Andrew Barson leads as its Chief Executive Officer with a mandate to grow the companys solar capacity and BESS capability in the country. Among the projects that Barson is overseeing are the Maryvale Solar and Energy Storage Project in New South Wales and the Barnawartha Solar and Energy Storage Project in Victoria, both expected to reach FID soon with a combined capacity of over 500 MW.

Low Kian Min, Gentaris Chief Renewables Officer, says, "Aptly captured by our launch theme Accelerating Clean Energy, Gentari Solar Australia will be key in achieving our ambition to accelerate clean energy adoption."

"In the immediate term, we will leverage our Australian assets as a building block to drive growth in utility-scale solar capacity and battery storage capability, towards increasing the share of renewables in Australia's power generation mix. Looking further ahead, Gentari will also explore other clean energy technologies including wind power in Australia."

Gentari's current operations in Australia adds 422 MW of gross installed capacity to the companys overall renewable energy portfolio, joining over 1 GW of capacity in Malaysia and India.

In the longer term, Gentari's planned growth in Australia, targeted to contribute more than 5 GW towards achieving its 2030 ambition of 30 to 40 GW globally, will be driven primarily by solar and wind operational assets. 

Low Kian Min adds, "In light of Australia's market maturity and strong potential, coupled with an open access grid that offers opportunities for diversification, underpinned by supportive government policies and a robust financing ecosystem, we are looking at optimising our solar energy resources while exploring wind generation and other technologies to supply green energy for hydrogen production in the future."

"Beyond this, we are also interested in developing commercial capabilities and are monitoring opportunities in green mobility in the country."

Barson says. "Gentari currently has a diverse talent pool in Australia, recognising the need for broad capabilities in the clean energy space. We are excited to be part of Gentari's future in Australia. In line with Gentari's business growth in the country and rapidly expanding regional presence, we are set to add new employment opportunities across the renewable energy value chain."

In Australia, the national electricity market is transitioning away from coal-fired generation, which currently comprises 66% of generation, as existing power stations reach end-of-life. The Federal Government has set a Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) to promote renewable electricity generation, aiming to have 82% of the nations electricity generated by renewables by 2030 as part of an economy-wide target of cutting emissions by 43% by 2030, based on 2005 levels.