The new renewable energy deal promises to blow the sails of Australia’s largest supermarket, Woolworths, to supply 30% of the energy demand of food giant New South Wales (NSW).
The agreement transfers 195,000 MW of electricity from the Bango Wind Farm to 108 outlets in NSW. This is equivalent to powering 34,000 households.
The private investment is a prepaid 10-year energy bill that is part of a power purchase agreement with Australian-owned CWP Renewables, the developer of the wind farm.
Woolworths plans to move to 100% renewable energy by 2025, with solar panels on the roofs of 140 of its 995 stores nationwide.
The Woolworths Group is also responsible for the Big W department store and aims to achieve “Net Carbon Positive” by 2050. That is, the conglomerate will eventually try to output more energy to the grid than it supplies.
“Beyond net carbon neutrality, we promise to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than we will emit by 2050, and the first renewable energy purchase is an important milestone in that pursuit.” Media release..
This is one step ahead of NSW’s own environmental plan, which aims to reach neutral carbon emission levels by 2050, and has already invested $ 11.6 billion over the next decade.
According to McCartney, supermarkets require significant amounts of electricity on a daily basis, making stores a major target for renewable energy support.
“Supermarkets consume a lot of energy to operate, so we want to take advantage of our scale by supporting the transition to renewable electricity.”
Last year, Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci outlined a new sustainability plan for the business. Media release The company said it plans to consume 1% of Australia’s total electricity demand and invest tens of millions of dollars in renewable energy partnerships.
New South Wales Minister of Energy and Environment Matt Kean specifically supported the decision to contribute to both employment support and an increase in the state’s renewable energy supply.
“This is great news and gives companies and energy market investors the certainty that NSW’s power infrastructure roadmap will make financial decisions that will help move our state into the future. It’s more evidence of what we’re providing, “says Kean.
“I fully support investment in all NSW energy markets, but this partnership and agreement prioritizes the construction of new infrastructure, provides local employment and investment, and renewable energy. It is especially important because it helps to expand the foundation of. “
Completed in late 2021, the state’s third-largest Bango wind farm will be 30 kilometers from Yasu NSW and will provide a maximum capacity of 244 MW when completed.
The cost of the project is private, Renewable energy now The website estimates that the cost is about $ 500 million. In contrast, NSW’s recently announced $ 600 million gas plant can deliver 660 megawatts of “reliable” energy, regardless of conditions such as wind or solar shortages.
This raises concerns about the stability of the state’s power grid as Tomago in New South Wales, Australia’s largest aluminum smelter, was forced to power outages several times last month, increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources. Because it is increasing.
“No one argues that energy systems should move to cleaner energy sources. We are actively pursuing renewable energies such as wind, solar and hydropower,” said Tomago. Said Matt Howell, Chief Executive Officer. “But the fact remains that there are no generations available day or night, especially in winter.”