How AWS is running on clean energy at no cost to European consumers

In 2019 AWS announced seven new renewable energy projects in Europe, in the form of unsubsidised Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs). These renewable wind and solar projects will deliver clean energy into the grids in Ireland, the UK, Sweden, and Spain, at no cost to consumers in any of these countries. In total, these projects add up to 572 megawatts.

That’s the equivalent of powering almost half a million average homes in Europe annually.

Solar panels on top of a large building.

In the past, public funding has often been essential to help develop the renewable industry to ensure the technology can be cost-effective enough to challenge fossil fuels. Projects like these demonstrate how renewable energy can, and is, standing on its own. It means companies like us are helping to make power systems across Europe more renewable, to reduce CO2 emissions, and to save European consumers money on their energy bills.

And we’re not only doing this in Europe. In 2019 we announced a number of new renewable energy projects in the United States. You can find out more about these projects, and why it’s greener in the cloud, here.

We’re excited to be announcing more renewable energy projects in 2020. In the meantime, here’s more on the seven we announced in Europe last year:

Page overview

Republic of Ireland’s first-ever unsubsidised wind power projects

UK’s largest single-site Corporate Power Purchase Agreement

Our first wind project in Sweden

Large-scale solar project in Spain

Sustainable energy agreement with BP

Republic of Ireland’s first-ever unsubsidised wind power projects

We’re proud to be the first, and only, company in Ireland to deliver unsubsidized CPPAs with the construction of two new wind farms in Donegal and Cork, now underway.

These renewable energy projects will be built without any subsidies, delivering clean energy to the grid at no cost to Irish consumers. They will support Ireland meeting its 2020 and 2030 renewable energy targets.

UK’s largest single-site Corporate Power Purchase Agreement

In 2019, we launched the UK’s largest wind CPPA, located in Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland. The new Amazon Wind Farm is expected to produce 168,000 MWh of clean energy annually – enough to power 46,000 UK homes every year.

Our first wind project in Sweden

Our first wind project in Sweden, announced in April 2019, will be based in Bäckhammar. It is expected to deliver clean energy later this year.

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."

Large-scale solar project in Spain

Last year we also announced our first large-scale renewable energy project in Spain – a new solar farm located southeast of Seville.

The new site will provide 149 megawatts (MW) of renewable capacity for the company’s fulfilment network and AWS data centres.

Peter DeSantis, Vice President of Global Infrastructure and Customer Support for Amazon Web Services, said: “Each of these projects brings us closer to our long-term commitment to using 100 per cent renewable energy to power our global AWS infrastructure.”

Sustainable energy agreement with BP

In December 2019, BP signed a series of innovative power deals with AWS to supply renewable power to the European data centres that drive the AWS cloud platform.

Through the first projects in this agreement, scheduled to kick off in 2021, BP will provide AWS with renewable power from an onshore wind farm in Sweden and a solar project in Spain.

Robert Lawson, Chief Operating Officer for Global Gas at BP Supply and Trading, said: "BP and AWS are both targeting reductions in emissions from their respective operations. One way BP can play an important role in helping our customers is by using our trading capability and scale to deliver innovative, reliable and flexible supplies of low-carbon and renewable power to major corporate customers and partners."

Major investments in renewable energy are a critical step to address Amazon’s carbon footprint globally. Clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels to power our services to customers. The projects above are just a few of the ways we are pursuing our commitment to achieve 100% renewable energy usage by 2040.

Last year we co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to net zero carbon emissions across our business by 2040 – a decade ahead of the Paris Accord’s goal of 2050. The Climate Pledge includes a commitment to reach 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030, on our path to net zero carbon by 2040.

Find out more about sustainability at Amazon.

Stories we think you’ll like