The challenge 

Rennie was engaged to conduct strategic research to identify global case studies of where coal-fired power stations had been transitioned to circular economy energy precincts and identify insights that could be incorporated into our clients strategy.

Our client has a strategic objective to transition its generation assets in regional communities in a way that leaves lasting positive legacy impacts to those communities.

Our team used a structured problem solving approach to clearly define and agree the key issues to answer

Our team developed a problem statement and comprehensive issues tree to map circular economy goals—renewable energy integration, resource recovery, workforce transition, and innovative collaboration—against the practical needs of our client. We reviewed leading case studies globally, selecting those with proven transition from coal-fired power stations to dynamic, diverse, and circular energy precincts, and conducted in-depth interviews with stakeholders (industry leaders, local government, workforce representatives, and education partners) to extract rich, transferable insights.

Our impact 

Our analysis provided our client not only with fresh perspectives but also practical lessons for successful regional industrial transition in Australia. These included leveraging existing infrastructure, prioritising skilled workforce retention and upskilling, fostering robust governance partnerships, and ensuring adaptive integration of renewable energy technologies and circular economy best practices.

Key insights 

• Co-location and shared infrastructure are critical: Effective energy precincts cluster diverse industries, enabling them to share renewable energy, infrastructure, and skills, driving down costs and improving circularity
• Stakeholder coordination underpins success: Dedicated precinct governance, coordinated government, industry, and education partnerships are essential to manage complex transitions and unlock innovation spillovers.
• Economic growth and risk mitigation: Circular economy energy precincts can attract significant investment in new and existing businesses, but require robust planning for grid integration, end-of-life management (e.g., recycling solar PV), and community involvement.