Aquila Clean Energy APAC appoints Dennis Freedman, Managing Director, ANZ, to drive clean energy business in the region
- Dennis Freedman, Managing Director, Head of Australia & New Zealand, is tasked with leading operations in the market and growing the dedicated team presence in ANZ
- This appointment bolsters Aquila Clean Energy APAC’s ambitions for expanding and advancing its presence in ANZ
- The company already has a pipeline of more than 2 GW of assets at various stages of development and construction across Asia Pacific
Melbourne, 01 August 2023 | Press release
Aquila Clean Energy APAC (“ACE APAC”), a clean energy platform that funds, develops, builds and operates clean energy assets, today announced that it has appointed Dennis Freedman as its new Managing Director, Head of Australia & New Zealand, to drive investment and business growth in the region as well as to realise the current project development pipeline. Freedman’s appointment builds on the company’s ambitions for expansion as it strives to contribute to the energy transition in the ANZ region.
ACE APAC is part of Aquila Group, a sustainable investment and alternative asset management company which manages around EUR 14.9 billion (approximately AUD 24.6 billion) of assets and has 13.9 GW of clean energy generation capacity globally. In Australia, the company has more than 800 MW of solar, wind and battery energy storage assets under development, while in New Zealand, ACE APAC has 1.4 GW of solar capacity at various stages of development.
ACE APAC aims to leverage Freedman’s deep knowledge of ANZ’s clean energy landscape to build out its project development pipeline and see its current roster of assets under development brought to life. To achieve this goal, Freedman is expanding the company’s local team of experts who embody ACE APAC’s strong legacy of regional knowledge and global perspective coupled with on-ground expertise in clean energy and asset management to bring the pipeline of development assets to commercial operations.
The team’s most recent hire included Damien Hegarty in the role of Project Development Director. Hegarty brings over a decade of experience in the renewables industry. Other key appointments will soon be announced across Australia and New Zealand.
“The ANZ clean energy landscape presents a promising growth market for ACE APAC. The Australian federal government has set an ambitious target of 82% renewable energy by 2030, creating opportunities for us to actively invest in and contribute to that goal,” said Freedman. “In addition, New Zealand’s success story in developing renewable energy, particularly hydropower and geothermal energy, highlights its capacity for growth. The New Zealand government is developing sectoral strategies such as the renewable energy work program that will serve as key inputs to the net zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. I am very excited to join the Aquila Clean Energy team which is a leader in clean energy assets. Across APAC, we have a roster of experts to support us and together with the team I am building, I am confident that we can help the ANZ region achieve its decarbonisation goals.”
Having dedicated over 15 years to the industry, Freedman has played a pivotal role in leading the development and M&A efforts of large-scale renewable projects surpassing 2 GW. He is currently a board member of the Clean Energy Council and prior to joining ACE APAC, he held senior energy sector leadership roles at Ampol, Octopus Investments and AusNet Services.
“With his proven track record, Dennis is well-equipped to navigate the dynamic energy sector and position Aquila Clean Energy ANZ as a leader in clean energy development and asset management”, said Alexander Lenz, CEO of Aquila Clean Energy APAC. “His vision aligns with ours at ACE APAC, and we are confident that he will use his profound industry knowledge and vast expertise to embrace this new role and steer us towards accomplishing our shared objectives in Australia and New Zealand.”
ACE APAC has been actively stepping up its regional activities in key markets, investing in local offices and teams and recently reaching financial close for its Kimitsu solar project in Japan. As ACE APAC increases its focus on ANZ, the company is also looking to expand its activities in Taiwan and South Korea along with Japan.
About Aquila Clean Energy
Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific (ACE APAC) is a clean energy platform that funds, develops, builds and operates solar PV, wind power and battery storage assets across the region. Through developing and managing clean energy assets, we are committed to advancing the energy transition towards a more sustainable future.
Currently, we have a 2.6 GW pipeline of renewable energy projects under development and our vision is to build one of the largest clean energy portfolios in Asia Pacific. Grounded in our values of high performance, cooperation, communication, sustainability, diversity and commitment, our fast-growing team of experts in our regional offices (Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and New Zealand) work together closely with our partners across the region to reach our mutual clean energy goals. Passionate professionals to their core, our in-house specialists have a track record of developing more than 7 GW of projects across the region.
ACE APAC is part of Aquila Group, a sustainable investment and asset development company focused on generating and managing essential assets on behalf of its clients. Aquila Group employs a fully integrated investment and asset management approach, initiating, developing, and managing these essential assets along the entire value chain and lifetime. Currently, Aquila Group manages wind, solar PV and hydropower assets of 13.9 GW capacity and manages around EUR 14.9 billion on behalf of institutional investors worldwide. The company has more than 600 employees from 56 countries, operating in 17 offices in 16 countries.
For more information: www.aquila-clean-energy-apac.com
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