Origin Energy Gets Interest in A$900 Million Wind Farm Sale-Sources

By Gillian Tan

SYDNEY--Origin Energy Ltd. (ORG.AU) has received expressions of interest from three consortiums for the estimated 900 million Australian dollar (US$926 million) sale of its Stockyard Hill Wind Farm, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

The three groups are General Electric Co. (GE) and Downer EDI Ltd. (DOW.AU), Leighton Holdings Ltd. (LEI.AU) and Suzlon Energy Ltd. (532667.MY, 5SZ1.DE) subsidiary REpower Australia, Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology. Co (002202.SZ, 2208.HK) and China Three Gorges New Energy Corporation, the people said.

The sale entails the outright purchase of the project which includes the development and construction of 157 wind turbines in Australia's Victoria state as well as a power purchase agreement, the people said.

In May, The Wall Street Journal first reported that Origin was seeking proposals from parties interested in supplying wind turbines, constructing the wind farm, providing equity for the wind farm's development or buying the project in its entirety.

Each party involved in a consortium has expertise in the renewable space. Downer EDI was recently awarded an A$70 million contract by Meridian Energy Australia to work on its 64-turbine Mt Mercer Wind Farm in Australia's Victoria state while Repower has installed more than 3,600 wind turbines in more than 20 countries, including some in Australia for Origin Energy, AGL Energy Ltd. (AGK.AU) and Infigen Energy (IFN.AU).

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