Yurringa Energy is Australia’s first Indigenous renewable energy retailer, based in Victoria.
Yurringa is a 100% First Nations owned business founded by Daniel Briggs, a proud descendant of the Yorta Yorta people who are the Traditional Custodians of the region surrounding the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers.
Yurringa Energy provides sustainable energy retail solutions nationwide while honouring First Nations values, culture, and traditions. It's dedicated to creating employment opportunities for First Nations peoples 'in an industry where we’ve had little to no engagement of this kind’. The company will prioritise hiring First Nations employees and contractors and provide training and development opportunities to support their career growth.
Spark North East Link Tunnels D&C
In mid 2024, Yurringa Energy was awarded the contract to supply 100% green energy to Spark North East Link Tunnels D&C tunnel boring operation for North East Link.
Spark is a consortium comprising of WeBuild, GS Engineering and Construction, CPB Contractors, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing Investments, DIF and Pacific Partnerships. In 2021 the Spark consortium signed the PPP contract, subject to financial close, that locks in a 25-year deal to build, operate and maintain the tunnels, with tolls to go back to the state.
Yurringa Energy will supply green power to the project (137.5 GWh of renewable electricity), meaning the tunnel boring machines will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Watch a video about the project here
Goulburn Murray Woka Yurringa Energy Project
The Goulburn Murray Woka Yurringa Energy Project is based on Yorta Yorta country around Greater Shepparton in the Goulburn Murray region of Victoria. ‘Woka’ means earth and ‘yurringa’ mean sun in Yorta Yorta language.
It's a planned utility-scale bioenergy project which aims to bring industrial-scale renewable energy to the region by converting straw, crop stubble and other feedstock into biogas, electricity and other co-products such as fertiliser, hydrogen and biomethanol.
In late 2022, project developer Valorify (previously Pacific Heat and Power) facilitated an equity divestment arrangement with Yurringa Energy for a share of the project. Yurringa Energy, as a key partner and shareholder, will provide strategic and commercial support to the project, ensuring maximum participation from First Nations businesses, with the hope that the project will lead to a range of employment opportunities, training and stimulus for the First Nations economy.
The Victorian government granted the project $411,759 in October 2022 through its Investment Fast Track Fund to complete planning works in order to advance the project to be investment ready.