Barwon Water Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Transition

Victoria’s largest regional urban water corporation, Barwon Water, has officially reached its goal of powering all its facilities with 100% renewable electricity. The milestone, effective July 1, 2024, was achieved a full year ahead of the Victorian water sector’s 2025 target, marking a significant achievement in sustainable resource management.

The corporation, which provides essential water and sewerage services to a permanent population of over 320,000 residents in the Geelong and Colac regions, has successfully transitioned its energy-intensive operations, which consume over 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually—equivalent to that of 6,000 homes.

A Diversified Portfolio as Barwon Water Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Transition

Since establishing its renewable energy goal in 2016, Barwon Water has developed a robust and diverse portfolio of assets. Today, its approximately 25 MW of renewable capacity generates around 65 GWh of clean electricity each year—more than double its own consumption. This multi-pronged strategy combines on-site generation with strategic off-site partnerships.

Pioneering on-site projects include the 3 MW Black Rock solar farm, an industry-first as Australia’s inaugural megawatt-scale solar installation in the water sector. This is complemented by a 300 kW solar and battery array at the Wurdee Boluc water treatment plant, a 240 kW array in Torquay, and an 80 kW system at the Kadak depot. A standout innovation is the Colac Renewable Organics Network (RON), which converts organic waste from local food producers like the Australian Lamb Company and Bulla Dairy Foods into biogas, powering the local water reclamation plant entirely with renewable energy.

Strategic Partnerships as Barwon Water Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Transition

To secure its energy supply, Barwon Water has also engaged in significant off-site power purchase agreements. Through the Barwon Renewable Energy Partnership, it sources 17 MW of power from the Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm, alongside an agreement to purchase electricity from the Kiamal Solar Farm.

This comprehensive approach has not only eliminated the utility’s electricity-based carbon footprint but also created a new revenue stream by exporting surplus energy back to the grid. Shaun Cumming, Managing Director of Barwon Water, highlighted the broad benefits of this achievement. “We’re proud to have achieved 100 per cent renewable electricity. This milestone reflects our commitment to a healthier environment and providing essential water and wastewater services in the most sustainable way possible,” Cumming stated. “In addition to reducing carbon emissions, these renewable energy projects are also reducing energy costs, putting downward pressure on customer bills and generating revenue from surplus electricity.”

With this landmark goal accomplished, the corporation is now advancing towards its next ambitious target: achieving net-zero emissions across its entire operations by 2030. “We are strongly focused on our 2030 target… This includes tackling direct emissions from wastewater treatment processes and transitioning to a zero-emissions vehicle fleet,” Cumming added, signaling a continued commitment to deep decarbonization.

Sources

1. [PDF] Barwon Water Regional Renewable Organics Network
2. Barwon Health Launches Environmental Sustainability Strategy …
3. Environment and climate change – Barwon Water
4. Barwon Water achieves full switch to renewables
5. [PDF] Annual Report 2024-25 – Barwon Water
6. [PDF] Annual Report 2023-2024 – Barwon Water
7. [PDF] Barwon Water – Outcomes – 2023–2028