New PPAs around Australia: BRC-A Founding Member Transurban, City of Adelaide, Shell

NEWS | 13 Feb 2020

The BRC-A is excited to inform you that BRC-A Founding Member Transurban announced on Tuesday a renewable power purchase agreement for its load in Queensland:
“Approximately 80% renewable energy will be used to operate Airportlink M7, Clem7, Gateway Motorway, Legacy Way, Logan Motorway and the Go Between Bridge. A wind farm in Far North Queensland will start providing renewable energy for our Brisbane roads in early 2022.” “The amount of energy Transurban is procuring through the Power Purchase Agreement is equivalent to annual electricity use from 10,000 Australian homes, and will save 35,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere each year.”
There has been other significant activity in the market recently too: The City of Adelaide has joined other capital cities around the nation in delivery on a 100 per cent renewable commitment, announcing last week a power purchase agreement with fellow BRC-A Member Flow Power.
“The City of Adelaide is taking climate change seriously and this partnership demonstrates that we are taking real and meaningful action on climate change. We are leading the way in the transition to cost effective, clean and reliable energy,” said the Lord Mayor [Sandy Verschoor]. “The electricity to be provided by renewable generation each year is equivalent to powering over 3,800 homes. The switch will reduce emissions by over 11,000 tonnes or the equivalent of taking 3,500 cars off the road. Electricity cost savings are anticipated to be in the order of 20 per cent compared to the City of Adelaide’s most recent contract.”
Shell also announced last Friday a self-owned solar project in Queensland to commence operations next year.
“[Shell Australia] announced it will build and operate its first industrial-scale solar electricity farm near Wandoan in central Queensland, Australia. The solar farm will generate 120 megawatts of solar electricity from about 400,000 photovoltaic panels and is expected to be completed in early 2021. The project will create up to 200 new jobs during construction.” ““We are proud to be investing in the ‘Sunshine State’ and Queensland is a key centre of activity for Shell’s global ambition to expand our integrated power business. Shell’s Gangarri solar farm will help power the operations of our QGC project and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 300,000 tonnes a year.”