The City of Sydney signed a renewable Power Purchase Agreement with Flow Power that will be backed by renewable energy sources from July 2020.
The City of Sydney today unveiled the biggest standalone renewables deal for an Australian council. Valued at over $60 million, the plan will see the City meet its electricity needs through arrangements linked to wind and solar generation..
Power used by all City-owned properties from July 2020, including pools, libraries, playing fields, depots and council buildings – including the historic Sydney Town Hall, will be offset with renewable energy added to the grid on behalf of the City
The 100 per cent renewable electricity commitment is projected to save the City up to half a million dollars a year over the next 10 years.
The City is committed to buying electricity under the PPA arrangements from the 270 megawatt (MW) Sapphire Wind Farm near Glenn Innes in northern NSW, the 120MW Bomen Solar Farm near Wagga Wagga in the south-west of the State, and not-for-profit community-owned solar scheme near Nowra on the south-east NSW coast.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the new agreement with innovative energy company, Flow Power, would generate jobs, support the state’s drought-stricken regional areas, and further cut harmful emissions.
“Acting on climate change is the City’s top priority. We were among the first government at any level to set targets in line with the science in 2008, and since then we’ve reduced our emissions by 20 per cent on 2006 levels. We’re proud to lead by example and help tackle the environmental challenges impacting communities across Australia.
This new commitment will see the City’s operations cut emissions by around 20,000 tonnes a year – equivalent to the power consumption of 8,000 local households.
I’m delighted that we’re able to support a community-based renewable plant, which will directly benefit the regional economy.
The City has been certified carbon neutral since 2011 and will now achieve its commitment to reduce emissions by 70 per cent five years ahead of our own 2030 deadline.
And while we can take local action in Sydney, the Federal Government should also provide greater certainty the market more broadly. Today I call on the Government to create a plan that will ensure the smooth transition to a more renewable future for all.”
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore
The agreement with Flow Power will see three-quarters of the City’s power sourced from wind generation and one-quarter from solar.
Flow Power CEO, Matthew van der Linden, said the City’s commitment to buy its electricity from renewable plants was an important step in Australia’s transition to a low-carbon future.
“It’s exciting to see the City of Sydney take on renewables as the cornerstone of a holistic energy strategy.
This deal will empower the City to tap into the wholesale energy market and support the system. This is the forward-thinking approach to energy that will drive us toward the new energy future.
We need organisations to lead by example when it comes to their energy strategy. If just 20 per cent of the market followed the City’s lead, it would drive investment in 11 gigawatt of new renewable generation – that’s double the current pipeline of renewable projects.”
Matthew van der Linden, Flow Power Chief Operating Officer
The community solar farm project is being developed with Repower Shoalhaven and is expecting to be completed in 2020.
With a construction cost of close to $5 million, the coastal solar farm will deliver additional investment to the region and provide local employment opportunities during construction and operation. The project will generate enough energy to power close to 1,000 NSW homes.
Repower Shoalhaven spokesperson, Robert Hayward, said the green power purchase plan will directly support the regional community.
“We are proud to be a part of this significant commitment from the City to advance a sustainable decarbonized future.
This will enable a regional community to participate through the purchase of power from our not for profit scheme and support local jobs. Thank you, City of Sydney.”
Robert Hayward, Repower Shoalhaven
The City has already reduced electricity usage by 26 per cent since 2006 by investing in energy efficiency initiatives, resulting in significant savings for ratepayers. Projects include:
- Replacement of 6,500 City-owned street lights with LEDs, saving $800,000 a year in electricity costs and reducing carbon emissions by 2,400 tonnes a year
- Alexandra Canal Depot in Alexandria is powered by 1,600 solar panels and has the state’s first utility-installed Tesla batteries. The battery can store up to 500 kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to meet the daily needs of around 50 City homes and equivalent to the storage capacity of 50,000 mobile phone batteries
- The City has partnered with Ausgrid to fast-track the upgrade of 9,500 Ausgrid-owned street lights to LED. The switch will save 3,500 tonnes of carbon each year, equivalent to the electricity used to power 3,000 households, and around $1 million in annual maintenance and energy costs
- The City has installed solar panels on more than 30 of its office buildings, pools, libraries and community centres. It plans to have more than 7,800 solar panels generating power for its buildings by mid-2021
- The City has also upgraded 40 buildings within the City’s property portfolio with new energy efficiency equipment, reducing 6500 tonnes of carbon emissions/year and $2.3 million of energy savings.
Other investments include energy efficient technology at several swimming pools, including the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Ultimo and the Cook + Phillip Park Aquatic Centre near Hyde Park, saving nearly 1,000 tonnes of emissions each year.
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