Amazon has achieved a significant milestone by matching its electricity use with 100% renewable energy seven years ahead of schedule. One of the most impactful initiatives contributing to this achievement is Amazon’s involvement in nearly 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of carbon-free energy capacity across six offshore wind farms in Europe, making it the largest corporate buyer of offshore wind capacity, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
A key project in this endeavor is the Amazon-Shell HKN Offshore Wind Project (HKN), the largest and first offshore wind farm enabled by Amazon to become operational. Located off the coast of the Netherlands, HKN has a remarkable 759 megawatts of carbon-free energy capacity, expected to generate 3.3 terawatt-hours annually.
“We are excited to see the first blades begin to turn off the coast of the Netherlands, producing carbon-free energy for Amazon’s operations in Europe,” said Lindsay McQuade, Amazon’s Director of Energy for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). “By advancing offshore wind, Amazon has become the world’s largest corporate buyer of offshore wind power.”
Amazon has announced six offshore wind farms along the coasts of Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Once operational, these projects are expected to produce 6.8 gigawatt-hours of carbon-free energy annually, enough to power 1.8 million average European homes. The HKN project, located about 18 kilometers off the west coast of the Netherlands, consists of 69 wind turbines, each with an 11 MW capacity, and features innovations like real-time data and intelligent turbines that respond to changing conditions within seconds.
Amazon’s commitment to renewable energy is part of its broader Climate Pledge, co-founded in 2019, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040. The clean energy generated by Amazon-enabled solar and wind projects has driven the company to match the electricity consumed by its data centers, fulfillment centers, and physical stores with 100% renewable energy, providing new sources of clean power to local communities.