Cairns Regional Council has inked a historic agreement with CleanCo Queensland that will see 80 of the Council’s largest facilities obtain 100 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources beginning in July 2024.
Member for Cairns and Assistant Minister for Tourism Michael Healy said this is the type of effort that would enable the Queensland Government‘s Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan to push the Far North to net zero emissions by 2050.
“By 2032, it means 70% of Queensland’s energy supply will be renewable – taking real action on climate change and allowing more deals like this one to decarbonise Cairns and Far North Queensland,” Assistant Minister Healy stated.
According to Assistant Minister Healy, the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Cairns City Library, Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre, and wastewater treatment plants.
“This deal is equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 4,000 North Queensland households each year,” he said.
The Kaban Green Energy Hub in Ravenshoe will supply the majority of the renewable energy that underpins the deal.
The agreement with CleanCo, according to Cairns Mayor Bob Manning, is fantastic news for the entire region since it promotes local jobs in the renewable energy sector and strengthens the region’s clean and green reputation.
“As the guardians of two World Heritage-listed natural environments – the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest – it is our responsibility to do all we can to protect these assets and our lifestyle by taking action on climate change,” Mayor Manning said.
Mayor Manning added that renewable energy is vital to the Council meeting its aim of net zero emissions by 2030, and the agreement with CleanCo puts us on the right track.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan would be Australia’s largest investment in clean energy and emissions reductions.
“Far North Queensland has world-class renewable energy sources, and through publicly owned corporations like CleanCo, we are making those resources available to support our industries and communities to decarbonise,” Minister de Brenni stated.
The Minister added that the Cairns Regional Council would be the first Queensland local government to ink a contract with CleanCo for the supply of clean energy.
“The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan also reduces household and business electricity emissions by 96% by 2040 and will help protect the reef, take action on climate change and respond to worsening natural disasters,” the Minister stated.
CleanCo CEO Tom Metcalfe said the company’s portfolio has a unique combination of flexible, low-emission firming capabilities combined with wind and solar generation, allowing the company to provide reliable, competitively-priced sustainable energy to large-scale energy users.
“Our portfolio of low-emission and renewable energy generators allows us to deliver clean energy solutions that will help our customers thrive in a net zero future. We have a number of generating assets here in north Queensland and I am proud that we are able to use these locally operated generators to provide locally sourced renewable energy for Cairns,” Metcalfe stated.
The arrangement with CleanCo expands on Council’s existing three megawatts of on-site solar and gives access to affordable renewable energy with predictable pricing.
The deal is additionally supported by renewable energy produced by the Western Downs Green Power Hub solar farm west of Chinchilla.
Both the Western Downs Green Power Hub and the Kaban Green Power Hub have off-take agreements with CleanCo. Both projects are being carried out by Neoen and are slated to be completed in the first half of 2023.
