Energy_Transition

BP's solar arm turns crank on PV-powered service stations in Australia

Lightsource bp 107MW project to sell electricity to Snowy Hydro under power purchase deal and buy back to run 88 gas stations in New South Wales

. BP Chargemaster.
. BP Chargemaster.Foto: BP CHARGEMASTER

The solar arm of UK oil giant BP has inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Australian energy retailer Snowy Hydro that will see the transitioning oil giant’s power 88 of its service stations across New South Wales with output from a new-build, utility-scale PV farm.

Lightsource bp said the 15-year PPA cleared the way for construction of the 107MW solar farm, in West Wyalong, from which Snowy Hydro would buy purchase electricity that would be sold via its Red Energy subsidiary to BP to the gas stations, saving 18,400 tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of removing over 6,000 fuel-burning cars from the road.

“Powering these BP sites using renewable energy is a demonstration of our strategy in action and is another step towards our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and to help the world to get to net zero,” said Frédéric Baudry, president of BP Australia.

Lightsource bp Australia county manager Adam Pegg stated: “Being able to facilitate powering BP’s service stations in New South Wales with renewable electricity from our West Wyalong solar farm is an achievement which demonstrates our commitment to provide sustainable and affordable energy to our communities.”

The service stations will switched over to renewable power from January 2023, with Lightsource bp having now finalised terms with an EPC contractor “now working to bring the project portfolio to financial close”.

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Published 9 March 2021, 22:10Updated 10 March 2021, 12:42
AustraliaEVs