Amazon has announced plans to invest in three new renewable energy projects in Ireland, Sweden, and the United States.
The move is aimed at achieving its long-term commitment to switch to 100% sustainable energy for its global infrastructure.
Peter DeSantis, vice-president of global infrastructure and customer support at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said, "These projects are well-positioned to serve AWS data centres in Ireland, Sweden, and the US.
"We expect more projects in 2019 as we continue toward our goal of powering all AWS global infrastructure with renewable energy."
Energy Goals
Through these new projects, Amazon will generate more than 229 megawatts (MW) of power, with an expected annual output of more than 670,000-megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable energy.
The output from the three new projects when combined with energy from its other nine renewable energy projects, is expected to generate more than 2,700,000 MWh of renewable energy annually.
This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 262,000 US homes.
Investment in Ireland
In Ireland, Amazon will buy energy from a new, 91.2 MW wind farm in Donegal, which is expected to deliver clean energy before the end of 2021.
"AWS’s investment in renewable projects in Ireland illustrates their continued commitment to adding clean energy to the grid and it will make a positive contribution to Ireland’s renewable energy goals," said Leo Varadkar, An Taoiseach of Ireland.
"As a significant employer in Ireland, it is very encouraging to see Amazon taking a lead on this issue. We look forward to continuing to work with Amazon as we strive to make Ireland a leader on renewable energy."
Other Projects
Amazon will purchase power from a new wind farm in Bäckhammar in Sweden, which is expected to become operational by the end of 2020.
Sweden’s minister for energy and digital development, Anders Ygeman, said, "Sweden has long been known for ambitious renewable energy goals, and this new wind farm showcases both our country’s leadership and AWS’s commitment to renewable energy."
The project in the United States will be located in the Tehachapi Mountains in California. The region is home to some of the largest wind farms in the country.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
