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Amazon to deliver new renewable energy projects
27/4/2022
News
Amazon has announced 37 new renewable energy projects totalling 3.5 GW of clean energy capacity, increasing the company’s renewable energy portfolio by nearly 30%, from 12.2 GW to 15.7 GW.
The 37 new projects are located across the US, Spain, France, Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This brings Amazon’s total number of renewable energy projects to 310 across 19 countries.
Once operational, the 310 projects are expected to produce 42,000 GWh/y of renewable energy – enough electricity to power 3.9mn US homes annually. The carbon-free energy generated by these projects will also help avoid 17.3mn tonnes of carbon emissions a year, avoiding the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 3.7mn cars in the US each year, according to Amazon. The company claims to be the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy.
The projects vary in type and size, with 26 new solar farms, eight new rooftop solar installations at company buildings and three new wind farms. Amazon is to further invest in renewable energy projects paired with energy storage, with two new US projects announced, including a 300 MW solar project paired with 150 MW of battery storage in Arizona and a 150 MW solar project paired with 75 MW of battery storage in California. This brings Amazon’s total clean energy procurement in the US from 7.2 GW to 10.4 GW. Notably, the new projects include Amazon’s largest renewable energy project (by capacity) to date – a 500 MW solar farm in Texas.
Meanwhile in Europe, Amazon has added an additional 314 MW of renewable energy capacity in Spain, bringing its total investment to 1.4 GW in the country through five new projects – three solar farms and two wind farms. A second solar project was also announced in France, bringing the company’s total renewable energy capacity announced to date to 38 MW in the country.
The company has also added its first rooftop solar project in the UAE – a 2.7 MW installation in Dubai. Seven further rooftop solar projects in Australia, Canada, India, and Japan totalling over 5 MW of clean energy capacity have also been announced.
Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019, committing to reach net zero carbon by 2040. The Pledge has more than 300 signatories, including Best Buy, IBM, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Siemens, Unilever, Verizon and Visa. To reach its goal, Amazon is aiming to reduce emissions across its operations with 100% renewable energy, five years ahead of its original target of 2030.
