U.S. tech large Amazon will energy operations in Greece with three new utility-scale wind farms that additionally will present electrical energy for the grid in three components of the nation. Firm officers in November introduced Amazon had signed 4 energy buy agreements (PPAs) with the three tasks, as a part of AWS (Amazon Internet Companies) Day in Athens. Amazon officers mentioned the funding within the wind farms is the corporate’s largest in Greece up to now.
Amazon, like many expertise corporations, has a aim to energy its operations with carbon-free power. The corporate mentioned the wind farms will allow that aim in Greece, and likewise help Greece’s aim of using extra renewable power assets.
|
1. The 44.4-MW Vermio Wind Farm, situated throughout Central and Western Macedonia, options two installations—Vermio North and Vermio South. As soon as operational, the undertaking will contribute to Greece’s renewable power transition and energy Amazon’s operations within the nation. Courtesy: Amazon |
Two of the PPAs are for the 44.4-MW Vermio wind farm, which options two installations—Vermio North and Vermio South—that span the areas of Central and Western Macedonia. The opposite PPAs are aligned with the 29.5-MW Koukouras and 35.4-MW Mesokorfi wind farms, situated within the Peloponnese area. The wind farms are beneath building and are anticipated to enter business operation in 2026 (Determine 1). Amazon has signed a number of PPAs for wind power. In March 2024, the corporate signed a PPA with Iberdrola to offtake 159 MW from the East Anglia Three offshore wind farm within the North Sea. That settlement adopted a PPA for power from Iberdrola’s 98.4-MW Juniper IIA wind farm in Oregon.
Amazon touted the job creation and financial advantages of the wind farms in Greece for his or her native communities. Officers mentioned greater than 100 building jobs had been created for the Vermio undertaking, with as many as 300 jobs anticipated throughout peak building, in line with Aer Soléir, a Dublin-based developer and proprietor of sustainability infrastructure throughout Europe. Aer Soléir developed all three of the Amazon-aligned wind farms.
“These three new wind farms in Greece mark an vital milestone in our carbon-free power journey throughout Europe and provides to the rising variety of renewable power tasks we’ve supported within the nation,” mentioned Lindsay McQuade, director of Power for EMEA at AWS. AWS EMEA is Amazon Internet Companies EMEA SARL, the Amazon-owned entity that sells AWS providers in Europe, the Center East, and Africa. “With greater than 180 wind and photo voltaic tasks enabled throughout greater than a dozen European nations, we’re dedicated to driving the carbon-free power transition ahead each for our operations and native communities,” mentioned McQuade.
Aer Soléir officers mentioned the renewable power tasks in Greece are a part of Amazon’s Local weather Pledge dedication to attain net-zero carbon throughout the corporate’s operations by 2040. The wind farms additionally help Greece’s Nationwide Power and Local weather Plan, a method to generate greater than 80% of electrical energy within the nation from renewable power assets by 2030. Greece as of 2023 acquired about 48% of its energy from fossil fuels, primarily pure gasoline together with coal and oil, in line with the Worldwide Power Company (IEA). IEA knowledge exhibits renewable power—photo voltaic, wind, and hydro—accounts for simply greater than 50% of era.
Amazon officers mentioned the wind farms are amongst greater than 500 photo voltaic and wind tasks the corporate has supported worldwide. The corporate additionally mentioned just lately it had achieved its 100% renewable power aim, years forward of its authentic 2030 goal.
“The collaboration between Aer Soléir, the Nationwide Financial institution of Greece, and Amazon is a ground-breaking dedication to Greece’s renewable power future, marked by a transformative funding exceeding $1 billion,” mentioned Theodoros Skylakakis, Greece’s minister of Power & Surroundings, throughout AWS Day on Nov. 19. “Amazon has been steadily growing its funding in expertise and infrastructure throughout Greece, and this announcement in the present day underscores Amazon’s pivotal function in supporting sustainable growth within the area and their dedication to driving innovation, financial development, and digital transformation throughout Greece.”
As a part of its collaboration with Amazon, Aer Soléir has allotted greater than €1 million ($1.049 million) for neighborhood investments reminiscent of infrastructure enhancements, donations to colleges and emergency providers, and financial help for native agriculture and farmers. For the Vermio wind farm, Aer Soléir has additionally allotted an extra €1.8 million ($1.9 million) earmarked for regional reforestation and biodiversity packages.
“Quantum is thrilled to help Aer Soléir of their partnership with Amazon in Greece,” mentioned Wil Vanloh, founder and CEO of Quantum Capital Group, a Houston, Texas–based mostly non-public fairness agency serving the power business. “Securing the PPAs with Amazon demonstrates Aer Soléir’s success as a renewables growth platform and highlights our dedication to advancing sustainable power options throughout Europe.” Quantum invested in Aer Soléir (which implies “clear air” in Irish) in 2021.
Andy Kinsella, CEO and founding companion of Aer Soléir, mentioned, “Since its inception in 2021, Aer Soléir has been dedicated to advancing Greece’s power transition. Supported by our traders Quantum Capital Group and 547 Power, our undertaking finance companions, the Nationwide Financial institution of Greece and the European Union’s Restoration and Resilience Facility, and our native growth companion Enteka, we’re investing greater than €500 million [$524 million] in wind tasks throughout Greece. We’re proud that our tasks are considerably contributing to the Greek Authorities’s renewable power objectives and are delighted to be partnering with Amazon.”
Amazon officers mentioned that between 2014 and 2022, the corporate’s investments in renewable power throughout Europe “enabled an estimated €2.4 billion [$2.52 billion] for the regional economic system and helped contribute greater than €723 million [$758 million] to the area’s GDP [gross domestic product].”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
