NBN Co has started receiving renewable electricity from the Macarthur Wind Farm in Victoria as part of its commitment to achieve 100% renewable electricity purchases by December 2025. The six-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with AGL, effective from January 1, 2025, secures around 90 GWh annually from the 140-turbine wind farm, which has a capacity of 420 MW. The wind farm generates enough renewable energy to power approximately 171,000 Australian households each year. This deal adds to NBN’s previous PPAs, including a 10-year contract for energy from the West Wyalong solar farm in New South Wales and a third agreement supporting the construction of the Munna Creek solar farm in Queensland, which is expected to be operational by late 2025.
The company’s renewable electricity goals are backed by its membership in RE100, a global initiative uniting businesses committed to 100% renewable energy. Additionally, NBN has set science-based emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aiming for a 95% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 60% reduction in Scope 3 emissions per new device sold by 2030. The company also plans to ensure 80% of its suppliers have science-based targets by 2027 and is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.
“The nbn network is a significant consumer of electricity, and the commencement of the PPA for renewable electricity from the Macarthur Wind Farm is an important milestone for us in meeting our target of 100 per cent renewable electricity purchases from December 2025,” said Stephen Smith, Executive General Manager of Safety, Wellbeing, and Sustainability at NBN Co.
