In the quest for a cleaner environment, Amazon is making waves by boosting its renewable energy contributions in Europe. From the start of the year, the company has infused the European grid with 39 new green energy projects. These aren’t minor installations – they have a significant impact on the continent’s power supply.
Zooming into the details, 15 of these projects are rooftop solar installations, placed directly atop Amazon facilities scattered across five countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. These are not only smart investments for Amazon but also set an example for corporations to utilize their infrastructure in sustainable ways. Meanwhile, the other 24 ventures are larger in scale, comprising wind and solar projects. These are located in six countries, namely Finland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
As of now, these projects are already doing their part, injecting a whopping 1GW of green energy into the European grids. But Amazon isn’t stopping here. Once all its backed projects are up and running, they will have a total capacity of 5.8GW. To put this into perspective, Amazon claims this amount of energy could keep the lights on in over 4.7 million European homes each year.
Lindsay McQuade, who oversees energy matters for Amazon in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, shared her enthusiasm about the initiative. She pointed out that, with over 160 such projects in Europe, Amazon is not just contributing clean energy. The company is also fostering job creation, supporting local businesses, and setting the course for its ambitious goal of using 100% renewable energy for its operations by 2025.
Amazon’s emphasis on green energy didn’t come out of the blue. In fact, in 2019, amidst increasing calls from various stakeholders – including its own employees, customers, and shareholders – Amazon publicly committed to making its entire business carbon-neutral by 2040. This commitment is substantial, considering the vast scale of Amazon’s operations. Adding more weight to its promise, the company even moved up its target year for operating entirely on renewable energy, from 2030 to 2025.
The past few years have seen Amazon amplifying its green initiatives. The company has been actively pouring funds into renewable energy, primarily to transition its power-intensive data centers and logistics hubs away from fossil fuels. Amazon’s commitment to this cause was evident in 2022 when it acquired 10.9GW of clean power. This massive procurement positioned Amazon as the world’s leading corporate purchaser of renewable energy.
