Rennie launches new Grid Connections practice following acquisition
Sustainability-focused consultancy Rennie has launched a new service line following the acquisition of the Australian, Malaysian, and Indian grid modelling business of Vysus Group.
Dubbed ‘Grid Connections’, the new service line – Rennie’s fourth alongside strategy & operations, capital advisory, and economics & sustainability – will advise renewable energy developers and investors on the grid integration process in Australia.
Vysus Grid has been operating for close to two and a half decades, with managing director Chris Marinelli now crossing to Rennie alongside a team of senior specialists. The firm has also formally expanded to Asia with new bases in India and Malaysia.
“Our clients have consistently told us that the technical, regulatory and commercial challenges of the energy transition are becoming increasingly interconnected,” said co-founder and CEO Simone Rennie. “By bringing in grid connection capability, we can support clients from project conception and feasibility through to financing, connection, commissioning, and energisation.”
Founded in 2021 by Simone and Matthew Rennie, both former leaders at Ernst & Young, the firm has roughly doubled in size since selling a stake to private equity firm Pemba Capital at the end of 2023, with its economic modelling line launched last year. Its new offices in Kuala Lumpur and Bangalore add to those already established in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
Meanwhile, Rennie’s new Grid Connections practice is grouped around three lines – connection strategy & feasibility, power systems studies, and commissioning & validation – with the business (founded in 2003 as eConnect Australia) having previously advised on 280 projects across wind, solar, and batteries totalling more than 20 gigawatts worth of generation and storage capacity.
“The grid and power systems business is considered the premier consultancy for grid connections in Australia,” said Vysus Group CEO Thomas Aas Saethre. “The transfer of ownership to Rennie is a reflection of the strategic importance and the high calibre of expertise within the team, and we believe the business will enjoy further success in its efforts to support the energy transition.”
APAC expansion
Rennie announced its expansion to Malaysia as a strategic Asia Pacific hub ahead of the acquisition (which was supported by KPMG on the buy-side), with hints there could be future regional acquisitions on the cards. The firm noted both the substantial energy transition investments being made in the country as well as the growing demand being created by AI and local data centres.
“For Rennie, our investment in Malaysia and our proximity to the Asia Pacific presents an opportunity to deepen and build relationships, collaborate with local partners, and support clients as investment in energy, infrastructure, and broader economic transformation continues across the region,” Simone Rennie said. “I’m very excited by what’s ahead over the coming years.”
