Accelerating asset transition and decarbonisation efforts for a leading Australian energy generator

The Australian Government has committed to reducing its domestic carbon footprint and legislated emissions reduction targets of 43 percent by 2030 and net zero by 2050. This is driving power generators and heavy industries to pivot, innovate and expand their low-carbon portfolio. 

Our client is a major electricity and energy solutions provider, supplying a significant fraction of the power demand in the Australian state it operates in. The organisation had set a bold goal of transitioning to renewable energy and repurposing fossil fuel-based assets into clean energy hubs over the next decade. 

Between now and 2035, the client also needs to transform its portfolio to achieve a combined renewable energy capacity of 11 GW+ or triple its current generation capacity. This transformation therefore goes beyond replacing assets; it requires an exponential uplift in the organisation’s capabilities to plan, commission, and manage a complex portfolio of coinciding large-scale construction projects. 

With the sheer scale and pace of this shift, the client needed clarity of the task that lay ahead and the ideal starting point. 

Our multi-disciplinary approach brought in skills from across GHD to address the client’s challenges. This synergy brought a breadth of capabilities in strategy, innovation, co-design and transformation planning, including sector-specific experience, which helped unpack the enormity of the journey and begin the important conversations. The team also examined reception and sentiment from the local community, workforce and business groups. 

Together with the client’s executive leadership, our teams created the roadmap incorporating key insights. The roadmap defined the long-term framework, internal expertise, external capabilities, resources, and technology requirements — all the critical components to help identify operational priorities and make the ambition actionable. This added direction, focus and rigour to enable the organisation to tackle the complexity of the transition.

This collaboration brought diverse perspectives to the planning, creating a comprehensive roadmap that represents the client’s unique story. We also developed a video for the board, which brings to life the client’s vision and journey and why it matters to their employees and communities. 

This large-scale project will be rolled out in phases. The roadmap will guide the transition’s foundational phase and identify strategies related to community engagement, government support, cost and funding, and workforce jobs and training. 

Our client used this bespoke action plan to communicate its vision and journey with a diverse set of stakeholders. This aided in securing the buy-in and engagement of the organisation’s workforce, leaders and shareholders, as well as the local community, government and industry bodies. 

Decoupling from coal generation is a bold yet necessary move for the organisation as it contributes to Australia’s net-zero economy. Moving forward, the path to the energy powerhouse’s transition is clear. The comprehensive roadmap developed by GHD translated the client’s ambitious transition into an executable master plan. 

The organisation is now poised to undertake the massive task ahead, equipped with the knowledge of the capabilities and costs that underpin the transformation of their power stations into clean energy hubs. These facilities will pilot renewable energy technologies — wind, solar, hydrogen and battery storage — and provide a space for workforce upskilling. 

Australia’s net zero future is unfolding, and this major project will be a driving force in achieving sustainability and net zero emissions targets. 

Is your organisation gearing up for a transformation journey? Connect with us and find out how we can co-design solutions with you.