Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are considered to be an important driver for new wind and solar farms, particularly as large electricity retailers fill their requirements under the 2020 renewable energy target.
Earlier this year saw Victorian brewer Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) signing a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with German renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler, BayWa r.e.
It's part of a commitment by the brewer, owned by the global Anheuser-Busch InBev company, to secure 100 per cent of its purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
CUB’s renewable energy will be sourced from a new 112MW solar farm, located in Karadoc, Victoria – 35km south of the township of Mildura. Under construction now by Melbourne-based Beon Energy Solutions, the 4km grid connection is self-financed and constructed by BayWa r.e and once completed, it is touted to be the largest ever solar farm in northern Victoria.
“The Karadoc solar farm is the largest installation ever undertaken by BayWa r.e and is a great showcase of our ability to procure, design and build projects of this size anywhere in the world,” says managing director of BayWa r.e. Solar Daniel Gäfke.
“Australia is a very important market for us and this investment is testament to the commitment we have to help increase Australia’s renewable energy capacity.”
The Mildura region was chosen as it’s considered to have Victoria's highest solar exposure and highest average sunshine hours.
BayWa r.e. will provide 74,000 MWh per year of renewable energy, enough to power 7500 homes, with the Mildura solar farm and the partnership with CUB forecast to create up to 300 jobs through construction with on-going opportunities for long-term employment through the solar farm’s operation and maintenance.
“We think that 90 per cent of our power needs will be met by the solar farm being developed by BayWa r.e.” CUB’S head of procurement and sustainability Jan Clysner says.
“Depending on the location of our breweries here in Australia, we estimate that 10 to 12 per cent of power can be generated by the solar panels we plan for the roof tops of these plants.”
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