We believe in the power of coming together. The Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP) marks the first time in Australia that a group of local governments, cultural institutions, universities and corporations have collectively purchased renewable energy from a newly built facility.
The new windfarm in regional Victoria has begun supplying energy to power town halls, bank branches, universities and street lights across Melbourne. Thanks to MREP our operations are now powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
Under this project, fourteen members of the buying group combined their purchasing power to support the construction of the 80 MW windfarm at Crowlands, near Ararat.
The 39-turbine wind farm is owned and operated by Melbourne-based clean energy company Pacific Hydro.
MREP members have committed to purchase 88 GWh of electricity per year from the windfarm under a long-term power purchase agreement. The agreement has enabled Pacific Hydro to progress financing and construction arrangements for the project; and because the wind farm will generate more than the purchasing group's needs, it will bring additional renewable energy into the market.
The MREP approach enables cities, corporations and institutions to take an active role in securing renewable electricity supply and taking action on climate change. It provides long-term price certainty, enabling customers to mitigate the risk of increased energy costs in a volatile market. It is also critical to cities such as Melbourne achieving their emissions reduction targets.
As an Australian first, we’ve learned a lot along the way. So, we’ve produced a guide to share our observations and knowledge, to help you navigate large-scale renewable electricity procurement for your organisation.
Image: Pacific Hydro Australia