Wesfarmers, the conglomerate behind some of the biggest retail stores in Queensland including Kangaroo Point, has signed a deal with CleanCo to provide renewable energy to a number of its major subsidiaries.
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The company, which operates retail giants such as Bunnings, Kmart, Target, and Officeworks, will work with CleanCo as part of their commitment to use 100% renewable electricity by 2025.
This new partnership will result in participating stores using a combined ~140,000 MWh of renewable energy each year by mid-2025, following a staggered onboarding of sites starting July 2022.
Renewable electricity will be provided primarily from Western Downs Green Power Hub, one of Australia’s largest solar farms and MacIntyre Wind Farm, which is anticipated to become one of the largest wind farms in the southern hemisphere once complete.
It will result in the removal of carbon emissions from the environment equivalent to taking about 48,000 cars off the road.
According to Wesfarmers, this represents 30 per cent of Scope 2 emissions from Bunnings and about 18 per cent of Scope 2 emissions for each of the other businesses.
Sarah Hunter, Managing Director at Officeworks, said the decarbonisation of the electricity sector is a crucial step in the pathway to a net-zero future, and one in which we all have a role to play.
“By choosing where we purchase our electricity, and how it is generated, we have the opportunity to contribute to that transition,” Ms Hunter said.
The company joins CleanCo’s growing portfolio of partners, leading to further opportunity for our publicly owned renewables, low-emissions and hydro business, to now grow its footprint of built, owned and operated assets.
Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni CleanCo is getting on with the job of connecting businesses in Queensland to clean, reliable energy from Queensland renewables and helping decarbonise our economy.
“Every time Queenslanders visit these iconic retailers – whether to Bunnings for mowers, Officeworks for school supplies or Kmart or Target for clothes for the kids – they are now supporting Queensland renewables jobs,” Mr de Brenni said.