Zen Energy has signed up to help power Australia’s first 100 per cent renewable media organisation, in a deal tied to Ratch Australia’s 227MW Collector wind farm in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands.
Zen says the deal with SBS will supply the public service broadcaster’s NSW and Victoria-based operations with 100 per cent renewable energy over the next 10 years through the purchase of large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) uniquely paired with the Collector wind farm.
Zen says SBS had already become the first Australian media organisation to switch to 100 per cent renewables in 2023 and the new agreement will lock this in over the longer term. SBS has also applied to have its efforts validated by the global Science-based Targets initiative.
“As part of our responsibilities under the Science-Based Targets Initiative, ZEN has voluntarily committed to reduce its scope 3 (sold electricity) emissions,” Zen CEO Anthony Garnaut said on Thursday.
“This means we are partnering with our customers to transition their contracts to 100 per cent renewable electricity, and we’ve committed to only sign new contracts where 100 per cent renewable is achieved within the contract period.”
SBS has set targets to reach net zero across scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2045 and has partnered with an outfit called Scope3 to measure its emissions from advertising, to give clients greater transparency of carbon emissions from their campaigns.
Zen says it is unusual to come across organisations that understand scope 3 emissions (emissions that are a consequence of a company’s activities outside its direct control), let alone actively seek to address them and get ahead of their regulatory obligations.
“Our partnership with Zen Energy underscores our commitment to sustainability and sets a new standard for reducing carbon emissions in media,” SBS chief financial officer Nitsa Niarchos said on Thursday.
“Our goal is to inspire others in the industry to take meaningful steps towards a greener future.”
Ratch’s Collector wind farm has been in operation since mid-2021, after going into construction in 2019 on a merchant basis – that is, planning to sell all of its power on the wholesale market – with the backing of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which made an investment of $180 million into the $360 million project.
The wind farm has attracted a number of corporate offtake customers with Iberdrola (formerly Infigen Energy) signing up in March 2020 to buy just over half of its output, followed closely by Aldi Foods, which signed a deal to purchase just under 20% of its generated power.
The Aldi deal helped the retail giant to become the first major supermarket chain in Australia to move all of its operations to 100% renewable electricity, six months ahead of target.
“This 10-year agreement with Zen Energy through wind power ensures that SBS’s commitment to carbon reduction is not just a short-term initiative but a long-term strategy,” SBS head of sustainability Abigail Thomas said on Thursday.
“By securing a decade of 100% renewable energy, we are taking significant steps towards our Net Zero targets and demonstrating our dedication to sustainability efforts and innovation in Australia’s media sector.”
