Iberdrola and Amazon Partner to Procure Renewable Energy from East Anglia THREE Wind Farm

Iberdrola and Amazon Partner to Procure Renewable Energy from East Anglia THREE Wind Farm

(IN BRIEF) Iberdrola and Amazon strengthen their global renewable energy partnership with a new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 159 MW of clean electricity from the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in the UK. This agreement expands Amazon’s commitment to sourcing renewable energy and supports Iberdrola’s ambitious clean energy goals. The wind farm, expected to be operational by 2026, will contribute significantly to Amazon’s target of powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. Additionally, the partnership involves digital initiatives leveraging cloud computing and artificial intelligence to enhance renewable energy efficiency and grid management.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO, 21-Mar-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest clean energy companies, and Amazon have expanded their long-term global clean power partnership by signing a major renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) for 159 MW of East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in the UK, equivalent to 700 gigawatt-hours GWh of clean electricity per-year.

Amazon has also signed PPAs with Iberdrola to enable projects in Germany, the U.S., and elsewhere in the UK. Over the life of these PPAs, Amazon has contracted 54,000 GWh of renewable energy from Iberdrola.

East Anglia THREE will support more than 2,300 jobs during construction, and 100 long-term jobs over the lifetime of the wind farm. The 1.4 GW project will be powered by 95 Siemens Gamesa 14.7 megawatt (MW) turbines, and will be located 69km off the coast of Suffolk. When the wind farm becomes fully operational, expected in 2026, the project will generate enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 1.3 million British homes1 and will be the second biggest offshore wind farm in the world.

The new agreement was announced at the Haizea Wind Group facility in Bilbao where the manufacture of 50 monopiles is underway. From there, they will be shipped to the UK and used to support the wind turbines of the East Anglia THREE wind farm.

Capacity from East Anglia THREE will support Amazon’s commitment to match all the electricity powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 – five years ahead of the company’s original 2030 target. With more than 500 solar and wind projects globally, Amazon is also the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy since 2020.

Expanding on their digital partnership, the companies today launched the global “Journey to Cloud” programme, by further migrating Iberdrola’s operations to the Cloud and leveraging AWS’s High-Performance Computing services big data services. Projects already delivered include the use of the Cloud to halve the time it takes to run complex weather simulation, and Amazon Sagemaker Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning services to maximise the efficiency of renewable energy assets worldwide.

On Smart Grids, ScottishPower, an Iberdrola company, has built an Internet of things (IoT) platform to collect sensor data and improve the knowledge of its Low Voltage network in the UK. The two companies are designing projects to incorporate generative AI through Amazon Bedrock to improve the experience of its customers and support its field workers.

Sergio Hernández de Deza, Director of Large Customers and Industrial Solutions at Iberdrola, said: “Companies like Amazon are leading the corporate drive to advance the renewable energy industry, and guarantee energy security, sustainability, price stability and competitiveness. Today, two global leaders join forces in an agreement that will mean more energy independence, more local jobs and lower emissions on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We are excited to partner with Amazon in the field of generative AI and big data, allowing our business to innovate and scale at speed.”

Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy for EMEA at Amazon, said: “Amazon is enabling renewable projects worldwide because transitioning to carbon-free energy sources is one of the most impactful ways to lower carbon emissions and help us reach our Climate Pledge commitment of net-zero carbon by 2040. This is good for the planet and our customers. It is great to see Iberdrola using the cloud and AI to turbocharge their renewables business and deliver much-needed clean power to grids worldwide.”

Two of Iberdrola’s previously announced offshore wind farms in Germany (Baltic Eagle and Windanker) will provide Amazon with 319 MW of clean energy (1.3 terawatt-hours each year), which is equivalent to the annual electricity needs of more than 314,000 European homes. In the US, Amazon has signed agreements which include Amazon Wind Farm Osagrove Flats wind farm for 150 MW (550 GWh/a) and the repowered Leaning Juniper IIA for 90 MW (240 GWh/a).

The Osagrove Flats wind farm will have a capacity of 150 MW in LaSalle County, Illinois. Consisting of 45 turbines, it will be capable of powering 24,400 homes annually. The project will support around 300 jobs during construction. The Repowered Leaning Juniper IIA will have a capacity of 98.4 MW in Gilliam County, Oregon. Consisting of 40 turbines, it will be capable of powering 22,800 homes annually. The project will support 200 jobs during construction.

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SOURCE: Iberdrola