Apple scales up clean energy projects in Europe to offset customer emissions

Apple is pushing Europe's transition to clean energy with new solar and wind projects in five countries, pledging to match all customer electricity use with renewables by 2030.

Apple Renewable Energy projects — European Energy Solar Farm in Latvia. Photo: Apple/European Energy

Apple is expanding its renewable energy projects across Europe with the addition of 650 megawatts of solar and wind capacity with new sites in Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Romania, as well as a newly operational solar array in Spain. The move comes as Apple aims to ensure that all energy used by its European customers to power Apple devices is matched by clean energy by 2030.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, said in the press release:

“By 2030, we want our users to know that all the energy it takes to charge their iPhone or power their Mac is matched with clean electricity. Our new projects in Europe will help us achieve our ambitious Apple 2030 goal, while contributing to healthy communities, thriving economies, and secure energy sources across the continent.”

The project will set back Apple an estimated $600 million, and will substantially increase the amount of clean electricity available in European grids. By 2030, these projects are projected to generate over a million megawatt-hours annually, directly offsetting emissions associated with product use.

In Greece, Apple has signed a long-term power purchase agreement for HELLENiQ ENERGY’s now fully operational 110MW solar facility. Italy is seeing a 129MW portfolio of new solar and wind investments, with the first Sicilian solar site coming online this month.

In Poland, Apple will enable a 40MW solar array by Econergy, addressing one of Europe’s most carbon-intensive grids. Romania, on the other hand, will have a 99MW wind farm developed by Nala Renewables and OX2, with construction currently underway.

Latvia will host one of its largest solar farms thanks to a corporate power purchase agreement between Apple and European Energy, adding 110MW to the grid, while Spain’s Segovia region is already benefiting from a newly operational 131MW solar farm developed by ib vogt, which became operational earlier this year.

Apple says that these projects will add around 3,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy to Europe's grid every year by 2030.

Apple also added that the company and its suppliers already support more than 19 gigawatts of renewable capacity, powering the company’s worldwide offices and manufacturing chain.