Vena Energy and Amazon together announced the commercial operations for the 125MW Amazon Solar Project Australia – Wandoan
Vena Energy and Amazon together announced the commercial operations for the 125MW Amazon Solar Project Australia – Wandoan
Vena Energy and Amazon together announced the commercial operations on 7th for the Amazon Solar Project Australia – Wandoan, built, owned, and operated by Vena Energy. With a capacity of 125 MW, more than 250,000 solar panels have installed, generating clean renewable energy to power over 60,000 Australian homes annually[1].
"Amazon is on track to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2025, and we are proud to offer Australia's new solar and wind power initiative, delivering significant sustainable outcomes for our customers and local communities," said Ken Haig, Head of Energy & Environment, Asia Pacific and Japan, Amazon Web Services.
The Amazon Solar Project Australia – Wandoan has owned, and operated by Vena Energy, which is part of Wandoan South Project. The project itself has been approved for the development of 650 MW of solar power and 450 MW of battery storage. The Australian Amazon solar program provided 220 jobs during the construction period, with 30% of the workforce coming from local sources in the initial stages of the construction program. The Wandoan South plan is expected to provide more than 1,000GWh of clean energy per year in the Western Downs Region.
Other initiatives by Amazon include two solar farms operated by Santos and Gunnedah in New South Wales, a wind farm in Hawkesdale, Victoria, and three rooftop solar projects in Melbourne and Sydney. If operational, the portfolios scheme mentioned above are expected to generate more than 1,000 GWh of clean energy, enough to power more than 175,000 Australian households.
Since 2016, Vena Energy has successfully operated 407 MW of portfolio projects, including Queensland's first large-scale energy storage station, the Wandoan South Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is currently one of the largest BESS in Australia. As of June 2023, Vena Energy has a total of 6 GW of renewable energy plans in Australia, including 128.5MW of hybrid solar and energy storage currently under construction, and another 1.3GW under development.
"As Vena Energy continues to lead the way in the renewable energy landscape in Asia Pacific, this Project exemplifies our dedication to creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for Australia," said Nitin Apte, CEO of Vena Energy. "We are proud to play a pivotal role in Queensland's renewable energy transition, working hand in hand with local communities to unlock the full potential of a greener and more sustainable tomorrow."
Amazon's renewable energy initiatives in Australia have received $467 million in investment
Amazon currently holds 7 renewable energy initiatives in Australia, and Amazon's investment in wind and solar power plants in Australia between 2020 and 2022 has brought $467 million to the local economy and contributed about $187 million to Australia's gross domestic product (GDP), according to the latest data released by Amazon. From 2014 to 2022, Amazon wind and solar projects have invested more than $12 billion in additional investments around the world.
By the end of 2022, 90% of Amazon's operating electricity was generated from renewable energy, with the goal of reaching 100% renewable energy use by 2025. Amazon invested in more than 100 new solar and wind initiatives in 2023 and now holds more than 500 wind and solar initiatives worldwide.
Note：[1] The number of electricity users is based on the annual household electricity consumption of each country based on the 2020 IEA residential electricity consumption, the number of users based on the 2022 United Nations population data, and the number of households in the 2022 United Nations and 2021 Statista databases.
