Kai Global has partnered with Seoul-based Wide Creek Asset Management to establish a renewable energy investment and asset management platform focused on the acquisition and development of mid- and large-scale solar and battery energy storage projects in Australia.
The WK Capital Partners joint venture will focus on building a portfolio of standalone solar projects of 5 MW capacity and in the 50 MW – 100 MW segment. It will also target projects that combine solar with battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Darren Spriggs, co-founding partner and managing director of Kai Global and managing director of WK Capital Partners, said the aim of the new platform is to reach $500 million (USD 325.25 million) in assets under management within the next two years.
“Initially we are looking to acquire existing operational projects to scale the fund and then develop projects,” he said.
“We are currently in negotiations to acquire operational PV projects with asset owners and also in negotiations with developers to acquire a pipeline of BESS-only ready-to-build projects.”
Spriggs said the company’s focus is on mid- to large-scale generation and storage assets with initial deployments to concentrate on Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, with further expansion planned as the firm builds out its asset pipeline.
“We see the value in investing in 5 MW PV and BESS assets being located across different states and the differing income streams they produce rather than investing in one large 200 MW project,” he said.
“We also see value in the acquisition of existing PV-only 50 MW – 100 MW assets that are a couple of years into operation and for us to then add value by added BESS to these PV-only projects.”
Spriggs said the joint venture aims to capitalise on the rapidly growing demand for large-scale investment in clean energy infrastructure in Australia as the push towards the federal government’s 82% renewable energy goal by 2030 ramps up.
“WK Capital Partners is designed to channel smart capital into strategic energy assets at a critical time for Australia’s grid and climate commitments,” he said, adding the firm’s strategy is aligned with the national ambitions.
“By focusing on solar energy and battery storage, WK Capital Partners is positioned to deliver infrastructure that supports grid reliability, accelerates decarbonisation, and reduces emissions at scale,” he said.
Wide Creek Asset Management, through its local subsidiary Wide Creek Investments, has been part of the Australian renewable energy and real estate asset investment market since 2019 and said it has more than $3 billion in assets under management.
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