QLD Shopping Centres Switching To 100% Renewable Electricity

Scentre Group has inked an agreement to source 100 per cent renewable electricity for its Queensland Westfield Living Centres – but it will be a couple of years before it kicks in.

Scentre Group owns and operates 42 Westfield shopping centres across Australia (37) and New Zealand (5). In 2020, the company committed to a target of net zero Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (purchased energy) emissions by 2030. Scentre has an interim target of 50% reduction by 2025.

The new agreement with Queensland Government-owned CleanCo will see clean electricity for Scentre’s Queensland shopping centres primarily supplied via several projects CleanCo has purchase agreements with:

• Western Downs Green Power Hub – 400MW solar farm under construction located 22km south-east of Chinchilla. CleanCo has dibs on 320MW of its capacity.
• Kaban Green Power Hub – 157MW wind farm under construction near Ravenshoe in Far North Queensland. CleanCo has a purchase agreement for 100 percent of the electricity generated.
• Dulacca Wind Farm – 180MW (under construction). CleanCo has an agreement to purchase 70 per cent of its output.

Supply under the deal with Scentre begins in 2025.

“We consider responsible, sustainable business a key part of our strategy and ambition to grow,” said Scentre Group CFO and CEO-Elect Elliott Rusanow  “Today’s announcement is the second agreement we’ve completed. In January 2022 we moved our New Zealand Westfield Living Centres to 100% renewable electricity.”

CleanCo has a target to support 1,400 MW of new renewable generation by 2025.

“This deal is another example of how businesses are leading the way to help the state reach net zero, and how CleanCo is supporting businesses meet their own targets,” said CleanCo CEO Tom Metcalfe.  “This agreement is a win for Queensland, a win for Westfield centres and a win for the environment.”

Scentre’s Onsite Solar Energy Efforts

Also helping Scentre Group’s achieve its emissions reduction targets are on-site solar installations at a number of its Westfield shopping centres:

• Carousel (Cannington, WA): 1MW
• Coomera (QLD): 2.3MW
• Kotara (NSW): 1.6MW
• Marion (SA): 647kW
• Plenty Valley (VIC): 300kW

Collectively, these installations generated 7,931 MWh of clean electricity last year – and there are a bunch more solar panels to come.

Scentre says new onsite solar installations at Westfield Knox and Westfield Fountain Gate in Victoria will generate an additional 6,200 MWh annually. While the size of these systems wasn’t mentioned, Scentre says they will increase the Group’s total portfolio solar generation capacity by more than 75%.

Commercial Solar A Lifeline For Businesses

On a related note, many businesses large and small are reeling from recently announced electricity price rises – particularly those that locked in contracts some years ago and those contracts are coming to an end. I was reading about a small family-run supermarket in Queensland that was paying around $5000 a month for electricity, but under a new contract is facing bills of $20,000 to $25,000 monthly.

It’s not surprising the business is now considering installing solar panels. Even prior to recent electricity cost increases, if a business could pay its bills, then it could afford to (and should) go solar – assuming a suitable rooftop. Payback is generally rapid and there are options where a system can be installed for zero cash up-front. Learn more in SolarQuotes’ commercial solar guide.