The Hawkesdale Wind Farm, a 97-megawatt (MW) renewable energy project enabled by Amazon is now commercially operational. Located 30 kilometres north-west of Warrnambool, Victoria, the wind farm comprises of 23 turbines, expected to generate 337,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of carbon-free energy annually—enough to power the equivalent of an estimated 67,000 Australian homes each year.
Building new renewable energy projects—including solar and wind—is one of the most effective ways to slow the speed of climate change. As part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, we’re supporting these efforts on a global scale. For the fifth year in a row, Amazon has been named the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally, according to Bloomberg NEF, supporting more than 600 wind and solar projects to date.
“Amazon is committed to driving the carbon-free energy transition forward, both to advance our Climate Pledge goals, and support Australia’s transition to more sustainable energy sources,” said Michael Cooley, Director of Public Policy, Amazon Australia. “As global energy demands continue to grow, we’re focused on bringing new sources of solar and wind energy to the country, which will help support our operations, as well as the communities where our customers live and work.”
The Hawkesdale Wind Farm is owned and operated by GPG Australia, the international energy generation arm of Spain-based multinational Naturgy Energy Group. A standout feature of the project was the innovative use of helicopters for stringing transmission lines. This method was chosen to ensure the project respected native vegetation and cultural heritage sites.
Amazon’s Renewable Energy Investments in Australia
This is the first utility-scale renewable energy project Amazon has enabled in Victoria. Amazon’s other projects include two operational solar farms in Suntop and Gunnedah in New South Wales, an operational solar farm in Woleebee, Queensland, and four rooftop solar projects on Amazon facilities in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Altogether, once operational, the projects are estimated to generate more than one million megawatt-hours of carbon-free energy annually – or enough capacity to power an estimated 175,000 Australian homes each year.
The renewable energy projects we support not only help to match the electricity consumed by our operations, but also provides new sources carbon-free energy to the local communities where its customers, vendors, and employees live and work. They also help create jobs and support local businesses which are all part of Amazon’s commitment to become a more sustainable company.
Next up, Amazon meets 100% renewable energy goal seven years early.
