Spanish company Acciona S.A. is helping power Australia’s Viva Energy Group’s oil refinery with wind energy. The two companies have entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Viva Energy announced today that the new agreement would secure pricing on approximately 100-gigawatt hours of electricity annually. The electricity will come from the Mt. Gellibrand Wind Farm, which belongs to Acciona.
The 132 MW Mt. Gellibrand wind farm is about an hour away from Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery. The PPA represents about one-third of the refinery’s electricity load. The contract started in January 2019.
Viva Energy supplies about one-quarter of all Australia’s liquid fuel requirements. Under licence, it also sells Shell products across the country.
Acciona comment
Brett Wickham, Managing Director of Acciona Energy Australia, said:
“Companies like Viva Energy understand the value alternative energy supply solutions, such as this wind-backed corporate PPA, offer in reducing electricity price volatility and costs.”
“We take a strategic approach to understanding the needs of commercial and industrial clients and are pleased to be working with Viva Energy on this corporate PPA. We share their commitment towards greater energy productivity and the environmental benefits the wind farm brings.”
Viva Energy comment
Scott Wyatt, CEO of Viva Energy, said:
“Access to reliable and affordable electricity is critical for our refining operations which need to operate continuously and be able to compete with large scale refineries overseas. Over the last few years, the cost of electricity supply in Victoria has more than doubled and has become increasingly subject to pricing spikes due to weather and reliability events causing disruptions to generation and supply.”
“Our research has shown that renewable energy is very competitive with existing sources of generation and can be a viable and sustainable part of the energy mix for a business like ours. This agreement with Acciona is a win-win outcome for us both as it helps lock in a stable electricity price over the long term, while supporting a local renewable energy source not far from the refinery.”
Acciona S.A., based in Madrid, Spain, today has more than 500 contracts in place across the world. It works with companies and organizations in several sectors such as health services, consumer goods, and transport. It also works in the infrastructure and telecommunications sectors.
Acciona’s clients include such household names as Kellog’s, Unilever, Google, Bosch, and General Mills.
Video – What is wind energy?
Wind energy involves capturing the energy in wind and converting it into electricity. In the past, we used wind energy to grind corn and wheat, and also to power boats of all sizes.