The new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) is set to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity under a seven-year electricity supply agreement with CleanPeak Energy.
CleanPeak will invest more than $50 million to develop 9 megawatt-peak (MWp) of new rooftop solar and a 30MW/120MWh battery energy storage system. Combined with the airport’s existing 4.5MWp rooftop solar installation, the system will generate more than 18GWh of on-site renewable electricity each year.
CleanPeak will also manage the airport’s embedded electricity network, supplying renewable power to WSI as well as tenants and operators across the precinct.
The company began supplying renewable electricity to the airport on May 1 through a combination of on-site solar generation, battery storage and electricity from its solar farm portfolio.
WSI’s electricity demand is expected to increase from around 40GWh annually to approximately 120GWh within the next four to five years as the airport expands. CleanPeak said it will meet this growing demand by adding new solar farms across New South Wales while continuing to optimise the airport’s integrated energy system.
Once fully operational, the airport is expected to consume more than 100GWh of electricity annually, all supplied from renewable sources through a combination of on-site generation and CleanPeak’s solar farm portfolio. The arrangement is expected to avoid approximately 64,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions each year.
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CleanPeak chief executive officer (CEO) Philip Graham said the project demonstrated how critical infrastructure could transition to renewable energy while maintaining reliability.
“This project is about unlocking what’s possible when large-scale energy infrastructure is designed, financed and operated as an integrated energy system to power critical assets like airports without compromising performance,” he said.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said the partnership supported the airport’s sustainability objectives and would help achieve its net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions targets.
“The energy system they will manage represents a landmark commitment to achieving net zero scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions for WSI, showcasing the low carbon future airports can champion as pivotal pieces of major infrastructure,” he said.
