Tech giant announces latest batch of clean energy projects in Europe, as it closes in on 100 per cent renewable energy target
Amazon has today announced it has added more than 39 renewable energy projects to its European portfolio so far this year, adding 1GW of clean energy capacity to national grids.
The retail giant said the latest additions to its renewable energy fleet, which includes rooftop solar projects as well as utility-scale solar and wind projects in the UK, meant it had now "enabled" more than 160 wind and solar projects across 13 countries in Europe.
Once all the projects in its European pipeline are operational, they should be able to provide 5.8GW of clean energy capacity, Amazon said.
The company claims to be on track to power all its operations - including data centres, fulfilment centres, and physical stores - with 100 per cent renewable power by 2025, five years ahead of its official 2030 target. It said it was currently generating 90 per cent of its power through renewable sources.
"With more than 160 wind and solar projects in Europe, Amazon is helping to provide new sources of clean energy to local grids, creating jobs, and supporting local businesses as we progress toward powering our operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025," said Lindsay McQuade, director of energy for EMEA at Amazon. "Corporate investment is an important catalyst to help transition toward a clean energy future, and we look forward to continuing to work with governments, local communities, and energy providers across Europe to deliver more renewable energy into local grids."
The company, which claims to be the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the UK, has calculated that its projects in the country have contributed more than £90m to the UK's GDP between 2014 and 2022, while generating an estimated £285m in investment.
It also claims to have contributed more than €723m to Europe's GDP in the same timeframe, while generating an estimated €2.4bn in investment.
Amazon said it had calculated the impact of its renewable energy investments through a new economic model it had developed that follows guidance from the US Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Laboratory that had been developed by advisory firm Oxford Economics.
Projects supported by the company this year include rooftop solar projects in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, as well as new utility-scale solar and wind projects in Finland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden and the UK, according to the update.
