Sydney rail network goes green with renewable energy deal

Sydney’s train network has become the first in Australia to transition to net zero emissions after the NSW government moved to power the massive transport system with renewable energy.

The government has committed to a four-year agreement with Snowy Hydro-owned Red Energy for the electricity used by the network, which produced close to 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide last financial year.

Sydney’s rail network will run at net-zero emissions after the state government signed a four-year renewable energy deal.Credit: Janie Barrett

Former transport minister Andrew Constance in June revealed the government would push to power the train network with green energy by 2025. His successor, Rob Stokes said the latest agreement means the state will have “smashed” the target by more than four years in “becoming the first heavy rail network in Australia to transition to completely green energy”.

The Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink networks represents about 1.3 per cent of the state’s electricity usage, with the government now purchasing renewable energy certificates from Red Energy, which generates clean energy from wind and solar. The certificates provide evidence that the source of the energy is renewable.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the agency was preparing to go to market in 2024 to “test solutions” to maintain net zero into the future.

A Sydney Trains spokeswoman said the certificates were identified as the best available strategy for the agency to achieve net-zero, though that could change “following further engagement with the market”.

Sydney Trains will also reduce energy consumption by at least 10 per cent by 2025 through solar energy generation at close to 30 locations across the network.

While the government seeks to offset its public transport network, a $500 million budget commitment it made to incentivise the take-up of electric vehicles will come into effect from November after new laws passed Parliament on Wednesday.

State government rebates of $3000 will be given to the first 25,000 vehicles sold for under $68,000, while stamp duty will also be removed from EVs that cost less than $78,000 under the plan that was announced in June. People who have bought an EV since September will be able to apply for a refund in stamp duty.

“To achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the majority of new cars sold in NSW need to be EVs by 2035,” Treasurer Matt Kean said.

Electric vehicles will be able to use transit T2 and T3 lanes until at least October 2022.

As NSW subsidises the uptake of electric cars, 40 electric buses will be rolled out across Sydney over coming months. The federal government will invest close to $30 million in the program to transition diesel buses to electric, while upgrading charging infrastructure.

The first 12 of the electric bus fleet are expected to enter service on Sydney roads this month, while the rest will progressively roll out over the next six months, Energy Minister Angus Taylor said.

“The aim of the pilot is to show the technical and commercial viability of using electric buses travelling a full route without the need to stop to recharge along the way,” Mr Taylor said.

The pilot will also retrofit the Leichhardt bus depot with a host of new electric bus chargers, as well as batteries.

The majority of the funding is being drawn from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, while $5 million will come from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.