RWE has secured a Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) contract from the Australian government for its 1.1-gigawatt (GW) Theodore onshore wind project in Central Queensland, strengthening the company’s renewable energy expansion strategy in Australia.
The Theodore Wind Farm represents a total investment of approximately AU$3 billion and was selected under the Australian government’s CIS Tender 7 for renewable energy projects. The Capacity Investment Scheme provides a revenue floor and ceiling mechanism designed to improve financing certainty and accelerate renewable energy deployment across Australia.
The proposed Theodore Wind Farm site is located around 22 kilometres east of Theodore township, 50 kilometres south-west of Biloela and 150 kilometres south-west of Gladstone in Queensland’s Banana Shire region. The development is planned to include up to 170 wind turbines together with a battery energy storage system.
Once operational, the 1.1 GW renewable energy project is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes across Queensland, supporting the state’s energy transition and long-term electricity supply security.
Sopna Sury, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, said the CIS award highlights the project’s strong commercial fundamentals, scale and local community support while improving financing visibility for the development. The company said the project will contribute to affordable and stable electricity generation in Queensland.
Theodore Wind Farm received state Development Application approval in June 2025 and is currently progressing through the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) approval process. Subject to federal approvals and final investment decisions, construction is expected to begin later in 2026.
Construction activities are projected to continue for up to four years and are expected to create employment for as many as 500 workers during peak construction phases. RWE noted that the project has received broad local community backing and was among the most recent wind developments to secure development approval in Queensland.
The project has already delivered more than AU$215,000 through its Sponsorship Fund to support local communities. In addition, RWE has committed to a Community Benefit Fund worth at least AU$500,000 annually throughout construction and operational phases, representing approximately AU$17.5 million over the lifetime of the wind farm.
Australia remains a strategic renewable energy market for RWE, where the company has operated since 2013. In 2021, RWE commissioned the 314 MWac Limondale Solar Farm in New South Wales. The solar facility consists of approximately 872,000 solar panels and generates enough electricity to power around 105,000 homes annually.
RWE is continuing to expand its Australian renewable energy portfolio through additional wind, solar and battery storage projects nationwide. The company recently completed Australia’s first eight-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) and also partnered with the Cassowary Coast Regional Council on a Community Benefit Agreement linked to a proposed battery storage project in Far North Queensland.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH