Germany’s WestWind Energy and Shell Energy Operations have mandated Lazard Australia to sell Australian wind farm developer, WestWind Energy Development, according to multiple sources.

“Onshore wind continues to be an important part of our strategy,” said a Shell spokesperson. “We are actively looking for other Australian onshore wind opportunities alongside progressing the Kondinin wind project in Western Australia.”

WestWind has developed and sold four wind farms with a collective capacity of more than 2 GW, according to the Project Zephyr sale teaser seen by Infralogic.

WestWind’s successful developments include the Lal Lal, Moorabool and Golden Plains projects. TagEnergy’s two-stage Golden Plains wind farm will be the largest in Australia when it is completed, comprising 215 turbines generating 1.3 GW.

The 42-person WestWind team is working on developing another seven wind projects, which could collectively generate around 5.6 GW, with up to six co-located battery developments, two transmission projects and an early-stage pipeline of around 6.2 GW, the teaser states.

WestWind has historically focused mostly on Victoria but the developer’s pipeline, excluding the battery and transmission projects, is now divided between New South Wales (38%), Victoria (29%), Queensland (28%) and South Australia (5%).

When Shell bought its 49% stake in WestWind in 2022 from the developer’s German parent, it had already bought a 51% stake in solar developer, ESCO Pacific, in 2019.

Since then, Shell has sold its stake in ESCO Pacific to EQT-backed developer OX2, which has also expressed an interest in developing Australian wind projects.

One factor, which may impact the WestWind sale, is the big jump in Australian wind development costs. Greenfield wind development costs have increased from around AUD 1.5- AUD 2m per MW to AUD 3.5- AUD 4m per MW because of increased turbine prices and post pandemic construction cost increases.

Shell started its push into the Australian electricity market when it bought Brisbane-based retailer, ERM Power, and added to its retailing assets when it bought Meridian’s Australian business in partnership with Infrastructure Capital Group.

WestWind and Lazard did not respond to requests for comment.