Asahi Beverages, BaptistCare to buy power from 720-MW Aussie PV park

Aussie drinks producer Asahi Beverages and aged care and community services provider BaptistCare have both committed to procuring electricity from ACEN Australia’s 720-MW New England solar park in New South Wales.

Each of the two companies has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with renewable energy retailer Flow Power, according to a joint statement on Friday.

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Asahi Beverages, part of Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings, will receive 30,000 MWh annually to power its beer brewing and soft drinks production activities. The contracted volumes are equal to the demand of almost 4,400 local homes and will help the producer of Schweppes and Northern Victoria Bitter lager move closer to its goal of 100% of purchased electricity sourced from or offset by renewables by 2025.

Under two separate deals, BaptistCare will be supplied with about 15,000 MWh of wind and solar power for 10 years. These arrangements will enable the company to lower the carbon footprint of its operations in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory by 70%, supporting its target of becoming net zero by 2050. One of the contracts is tied to the New England photovoltaic (PV) farm.

Both Asahi Beverages and BaptistCare will start receiving power from the New England solar park in 2025. The complex, touted as the largest one of its kind in New South Wales, is expected to generate electricity equal to the demand of 300,000 homes a year. The site’s first 400-MW phase was officially opened in March last year. Phase two is under construction.