Amazon’s massive global green power play

Tech giant Amazon has become a major buyer of green power globally, securing supply from 26 new solar and wind projects in eight countries, including its third supplier in Australia.

Amazon says it's the world’s biggest corporate purchaser of green power. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP)

TECH giant Amazon is now a significant buyer of green power globally, picking a third renewable energy project in Australia – and 25 others in eight countries – to meet its 100 per cent target by 2030.

Amazon will source about 325,000 MWh of renewable energy – enough to power 52,000 Australian households annually – from the 96.6MW Hawkesdale Wind Farm in Victoria, which is approved but not operational yet.

Amazon has signed its first wind farm agreement in Victoria

The project by Global Power Generation is due to be completed by end 2022.

Earlier this year, Amazon signed similar supply agreements with Canadian Solar for its Gunnedah Solar Farm and Suntop Solar Farm projects in NSW, both expected to come online next year.

The three renewable energy projects in Australia are expected to generate 717,000 MWh of renewable energy annually, the equivalent of the annual power use of almost 115,000 homes.

Amazon’s other new solar and wind power suppliers are located in France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, the UK, and the U.S.

In total, Amazon is sourcing power from 127 renewable energy projects – 59 utility-scale wind and solar sites and 68 solar rooftops on fulfilment centres, and sort centres.

The purchase will offset use of power at Amazon’s corporate offices, fulfilment centres, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres that support millions of customers globally.

In Australia, the list includes CBA, NAB, Qantas, Atlassian and Telstra, among others.

Amazon, which earlier this week announced plans to build a second data hub in Melbourne, is now on track to meet its 100 per cent renewable energy target earlier than 2030 and to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its business by 2040.

US-headquartered Amazon’s total renewable energy investments to date will supply 6.5GW of electricity production capacity – enough to power 1.7m US homes for one year.

Amazon Web Services ANZ MD Adam Beavis. Source: Supplied

“Our continued investment in Australian renewable energy projects are not only helping make our business, and our future, more sustainable, it’s also helping to create investment and jobs,” said Amazon Web Services ANZ managing director Adam Beavis said.

“Our push to use more renewable energy is one step on our path to net-zero carbon by 2040 as part of Amazon’s commitment to The Climate Pledge.”

The Climate Pledge asks organisations to commit to achieving net-zero carbon by 2040 – a decade ahead of the goals set in 2015 by the Paris Agreement.

“Amazon is helping fight climate change by moving quickly to power our businesses with renewable energy,” said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

Businesses are also being encouraged to move to more efficiency by switching to cloud computing.

Local consultancy Energetics has been helping Amazon with the Australian PPAs.

“Amazon’s efforts to invest in this area set the pace for the industry, and we look forward to working together to help Amazon achieve its sustainability goals, as its Australian business continues to grow,” Energetics energy markets manager Gilles Walgenwitz said.

Amazon has a 3000-strong workforce in Australia and has invested $3bn in infrastructure and its local workforce here over the past decade.