A six-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been established between nbn and AGL, allowing nbn to source its electricity from the Macarthur Wind Farm.
As part of this arrangement, nbn will acquire approximately 90GWh annually of renewable energy to contribute to the grid, along with the associated renewable energy certificates produced by the Macarthur Wind Farm, situated 16km east of Macarthur in the south-western region of Victoria, nestled between Hamilton and Warrnambool.
About Macarthur Wind Farm
The Macarthur Wind Farm features 140 turbines generating a combined output of 420MW. Over the past decade, the facility has averaged over 910,000MWh of renewable energy production each year, providing sufficient power for roughly 171,000 average Australian households annually.
Significant Steps Towards Renewable Energy
Commencing on 1 January 2025, this PPA marks a considerable advancement towards nbn’s commitment to exclusively purchasing renewable electricity by December 2025.
This commitment also encompasses a solar farm in West Wyalong, located in New South Wales’ Riverina area, which was initiated following nbn’s inaugural ten-year PPA, where the company has secured about 90GWh each year – roughly 62 per cent of the anticipated output from that solar facility.
Further Developments in Renewable Energy Initiatives
In November 2023, nbn entered into its third PPA, a decade-long agreement facilitating the establishment of a new solar farm at Munna Creek, close to Gympie in south-east Queensland. This latest agreement will see nbn commit to acquiring around 59GWh of energy per year, accounting for more than 20 per cent of the projected output from the 467-hectare solar farm.
The Munna Creek solar farm is projected to become operational in the latter half of 2025 and will feature around 255,000 solar panels. The energy produced from this facility is estimated to be sufficient to power about 41,000 Australian homes.
NBN Co’s Commitment to Renewable Energy
nbn’s aim of 100 per cent renewable electricity purchases by December 2025 is supported by its membership in the RE100 initiative, a global effort comprising over 400 of the largest enterprises focused on renewable electricity.
As the first telecommunications company in Australia and the first Australian Government Business Enterprise to join RE100, NBN Co emphasises its commitment to setting long-term emissions reduction targets and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, or sooner. The organisation plans to submit its long-term reduction goals for validation to the Science Based Targets initiative shortly.
Leadership Statement on Sustainability
Stephen Smith, NBN Co’s Executive General Manager for Safety, Wellbeing, and Sustainability, remarked, “The nbn network is a significant consumer of electricity, and the initiation of the PPA for renewable energy from the Macarthur Wind Farm is a crucial milestone in achieving our goal of 100 per cent renewable electricity purchases by December 2025.”
Smith further added, “Expanding our use of renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency through fibre deployment, and exploring innovative solutions will assist us in reducing both emissions and operational costs. We have a duty to operate sustainably, fostering long-term social, economic, and environmental value for our customers and the nation.”
He concluded with a commitment to maintaining a climate-resilient and resource-efficient network and business aligned with current climate science, aiming to safeguard the natural environment.