Amazon has announced that in 2022, it grew its renewable energy capacity by 8.3 gigawatts (GW) through 133 new projects in 11 countries. This brings Amazon’s total portfolio to more than 20 GW—that could generate the amount of energy to power 5.3 million U.S. homes—across 401 renewable energy projects in 22 countries. The company’s renewable energy purchases continue to add new wind and solar projects to the grids that power Amazon’s operations around the world, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres, Amazon fulfilment centres, and physical stores.
Amazon has set a new corporate record for the most renewable energy announced by a single company in a single year, thanks to these ongoing investments. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the company is still the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, a position it has held since 2020. Amazon’s continued investment in renewable energy contributes to the company’s expansion into new markets by utilising innovative deal structures, technologies, and cloud solutions.
These purchases also move Amazon closer to meeting its goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years earlier than its original 2030 target. In 2022, the company will have announced new projects in Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and the United States, as well as breaking ground in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. With 25 new renewable energy projects secured by the end of the year, the company now has 401 projects worldwide, including 164 wind farms and solar farms, as well as 237 rooftop solar projects on Amazon facilities. Amazon’s global renewable energy projects are expected to generate 56,881 gigatonne-hours (GWh) of clean energy per year once operational.
In addition to the 108 clean energy projects announced in 2022, Amazon today announced 25 new clean energy projects for 2022. These are some examples:
Eleven new projects totalling 372 megawatts (MW) of capacity have been announced in Europe, including Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Amazon added two new offshore wind projects in Europe totalling 280 MW of capacity to its portfolio of offshore wind projects, tapping into one of the world’s best renewable energy resources.
In North America, four new projects totalling 918 MW of energy have been announced in Arizona, California, and Texas. In California, a new solar project combined with energy storage allows Amazon to store clean energy generated by its solar projects and deploy it when solar energy is unavailable, such as in the evenings or during periods of high demand. Amazon also added its first on-site solar project in California, at the Amazon Air Hub, where employees pack and handle freight and conduct plane-side operations.
Ten new renewable energy projects have been announced in India, Indonesia, and Japan. Amazon’s first two wind-solar hybrid projects in India were joined by a third 200 MW wind-solar hybrid project. Renewable hybrid energy systems can help India accelerate the decarbonisation of power generation, lowering electricity costs in the medium term. By combining two technologies with different generation profiles, these hybrid energy systems maximise clean energy use on the grid while reducing variability in renewable generation and improving grid stability. Amazon invested in its first renewable energy projects in Indonesia, securing a first-of-its-kind agreement that allows corporations to access additional utility-scale solar projects. Amazon has added three on-site solar projects in Japan, as well as a new 38 MW utility-scale solar project.
One of the most effective ways to combat climate change is to rapidly scale up renewable energy. Amazon recently led the formation of the new Emissions First coalition to ensure that organisations’ purchases of renewable energy have the greatest impact on emissions reductions. This coalition is leading advocacy efforts to modernise the world’s leading carbon-accounting standard, assisting in the removal of carbon from global power grids as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
“As we continue to launch new renewable energy projects around the world, we’re pleased to be on track to power our operations with 100% renewable energy, five years ahead of our original target. With 133 projects in 11 countries announced in 2022, Amazon had another record year,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS. “These projects highlight the diversity of our renewable energy sources and showcase our ability to bring new technologies to new markets and further reduce the impacts of climate change.”