en.Wedoany.com Reported - CleanPeak Energy has partnered with Western Sydney International Airport (Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, WSI) to supply 100% renewable electricity to Australia's newest airport.
CleanPeak Energy will invest over $50 million on-site to build a new 9 megawatt-peak (MWp) rooftop solar system and a 120 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system. Combined with the airport's existing 4.5 MWp rooftop solar installation, CleanPeak will supply over 18 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of on-site renewable electricity annually to the airport under a seven-year power supply agreement.
At the same time, CleanPeak Energy will manage the airport's embedded network distribution system, ensuring that all tenants and operators within the airport receive stable, reliable renewable electricity for years to come.
Western Sydney International Airport's electricity demand is expected to grow from approximately 40 GWh per year currently to around 120 GWh per year within the next four to five years. From the outset of the partnership, CleanPeak Energy will meet 100% of the airport's electricity needs through on-site solar generation and storage systems, as well as its expanding portfolio of solar farms.
As a greenfield development designed from scratch, sustainability is embedded throughout the construction of Western Sydney International Airport. The airport's baggage handling system, terminal operations, and even electric airside equipment are all powered by renewable electricity.
CleanPeak Energy CEO Philip Graham stated that the project demonstrates how critical infrastructure can transition to renewable energy without compromising reliability or performance. He noted that when large-scale energy infrastructure is designed, financed, and operated as an integrated energy system, significant potential can be unlocked to provide stable power for key assets like airports. By investing on-site to optimize local energy infrastructure and developing additional solar farms to achieve the required scale of energy, CleanPeak ensures the airport can use renewable electricity 24/7. CleanPeak began supplying renewable electricity to the airport on May 1, 2026.
Upon completion, the fully integrated energy system operated by CleanPeak will include: the airport's existing 4.5 MWp rooftop solar installation, which CleanPeak will lease, operate, and maintain; an additional approximately 9 MWp of solar generation capacity delivered by CleanPeak, including a 4.95 MWp system on the roof of the existing cargo terminal and a 4 MWp system on the roof of a second cargo terminal; a 30 MW/120 MWh battery energy storage system scheduled for delivery in 2027, providing grid stability, system resilience, and peak demand management; and an embedded network capable of efficiently distributing and optimizing electricity for WSI and its tenants within the airport precinct.
As WSI's electricity demand continues to grow, CleanPeak will continue to add new solar farms to its development portfolio in New South Wales, ensuring sufficient renewable generation capacity to meet increasing on-site demand. This integrated solution is specifically designed for national infrastructure projects where continuous power supply is critical, aiming to provide reliable, clean green electricity.
When the airport is fully operational, its on-site electricity demand is expected to exceed 100 GWh per year, all of which will be supplied by CleanPeak Energy from 100% renewable sources, both on-site and from its solar farm portfolio. Based on this estimate, the project is expected to avoid approximately 64,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually, equivalent to removing about 22,500 passenger cars from Australian roads or powering over 16,800 average Australian homes for a year.
Unlike traditional energy arrangements, CleanPeak will actively manage and optimize all components of the power system, including generation, storage, and distribution, providing a single integrated solution that balances reliability, cost, and sustainability.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey stated that embedding sustainability into the airport's design and construction laid the foundation for its success and helps ensure WSI can be powered by 100% renewable electricity soon after passenger operations begin, with the partnership with CleanPeak Energy being crucial to this. He noted being pleased to partner with Australian company CleanPeak to support WSI's net-zero emissions goals. The energy system managed by CleanPeak represents a milestone step for WSI in achieving net-zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, demonstrating how airports, as critical infrastructure, can lead a low-carbon future.
This collaboration showcases how renewable electricity, battery storage, and embedded network infrastructure can be integrated to meet the demanding operational requirements of major airports and other large-scale energy users. CleanPeak's on-site design ensures that renewable electricity will serve the airport's future development phases, as well as tenants and owners in the adjacent connected business park.
