Apple has signed up to a major off take agreement from a new 600MW wind farm to be built in north Queensland by renewable energy developer Windlab, now majority owned by Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy.
The deal will see Apple buy 500GWh a year – from 2026 – from the Upper Burdekin wind farm, which Windlab plans to build on pastoral land within Gugu Badhun country, about 65km south-west of Ingham.
This is the first renewable project invested in Australia by Apple to address and offset customer energy use, and the second in the world, after a deal announced last month with a 300MW solar farm in Texas.
The deal will likely account for around one third of the wind farm’s total output.
Apple announced in 2020 that it intended to be “100 per cent carbon neutral” by 2030, including the energy use of its devices. It also sources energy from another 10GW of renewables capacity for its own operations.
“At Apple, we recognise the urgent need to address the climate crisis, and we’re accelerating our global work to ensure our products have a net-zero climate footprint across their entire life cycle,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.
“We are proud to play a part in Australia’s transition to a cleaner energy grid, and thrilled that Apple will soon support Australian customers’ use of their favourite products with clean energy.”
Squadron Energy bought its majority 75 per cent stake in Windlab in a takeover offer launched with Federation Asset Management in 2020.
Last month, Squadron announced it had secured an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Gugu Badhun, the region’s traditional owners and Native Title holders.
Squadron also has its own big portfolio, including the massive 3GW Clarke Creek wind, solar and battery facility in Queensland, that is about to start construction of its first 400MW wind stage.
Apple is a member of the RE100 renewable energy initiative, whose 377 corporate members include many of the world’s biggest brands and companies who between them use 380+ TWh/yr of electricity. All of that electricity is transitioning to 100% renewable sources by a set date.
“When it comes to speeding up Australia’s clean energy transition, sourcing new sources of renewable energy like this is critical,” says Jon Dee, the Australian co-ordinator of RE100.
“It’s great to see Apple playing an active part part in transitioning the Australian grid from fossil fuels to renewables. They’re setting a positive example for other companies to follow.”
