pwr_january-2025 - 10

GLOBAL MONITOR
2035. We're expecting an amount equal
to the current U.S. electricity demand to
be added to China's system. The choices
China makes will have profound implications
for the world, particularly for energy
commodities, " she said.
China already leads the world in solar
PV, wind capacity, and it currently has 30
nuclear reactors under construction-
more than two and half times more than
any other country. " Our analysis shows
that China's expansion of solar, wind, nuclear,
and other low-carbon technologies
in the electricity sector will soon lead to a
peak in its coal use, followed by a decline, "
said Cozzi. China today accounts for more
than half of the global coal demand, she
noted. " This would significantly reduce
global coal demand, equivalent to the total
current demand outside of China. Understanding
China's energy trajectory is,
therefore, a critical determinant for global
commodity trends, " she said. But in tandem,
China's EV revolution is poised to
cut domestic oil consumption by 5 million
barrels per day by 2035, contributing to
the anticipated peak in global oil demand.
According to Birol, China's emergence
as a central player highlights a significant
transformation in the " new energy market
context " expected to take shape starting
in 2025, marked by intensified competition
and escalating geopolitical tensions.
Amid these shifts, global collaboration
will be essential to address the evolving
challenges of energy security and the escalating
impacts of climate change. " The
definition of energy security is evolving,
and there is a need for a common understanding
among nations and decisionmakers
worldwide, " he said.
-Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.
Amazon Supports Three New
Wind Farms in Greece
U.S. tech giant Amazon will power operations
in Greece with three new utilityscale
wind farms that also will provide
electricity for the grid in three parts of
the country. Company officials in November
announced Amazon had signed
four power purchase agreements (PPAs)
with the three projects, as part of AWS
(Amazon Web Services) Day in Athens.
Amazon officials said the investment in
the wind farms is the company's largest
in Greece to date.
Amazon, like many technology companies,
has a goal to power its operations
with carbon-free energy. The company
said the wind farms will enable that goal in
Greece, and also support Greece's goal of
utilizing more renewable energy resources.
10
Two of the PPAs are for the 44.4-MW
Vermio wind farm, which features two
installations-Vermio North and Vermio
South-that span the regions of Central
and Western Macedonia. The other PPAs
are aligned with the 29.5-MW Koukouras
and 35.4-MW Mesokorfi wind farms, located
in the Peloponnese region. The wind
farms are under construction and are expected
to enter commercial operation in
2026 (Figure 3). Amazon has signed several
PPAs for wind energy. In March 2024,
the company signed a PPA with Iberdrola
to offtake 159 MW from the East Anglia
Three offshore wind farm in the North
Sea. That agreement followed a PPA for
energy from Iberdrola's 98.4-MW Juniper
IIA wind farm in Oregon.
Amazon touted the job creation and
economic benefits of the wind farms in
Greece for their local communities. Officials
said more than 100 construction jobs
had been created for the Vermio project,
with as many as 300 jobs expected during
peak construction, according to Aer Soléir,
a Dublin-based developer and owner of
sustainability infrastructure across Europe.
Aer Soléir developed all three of the
Amazon-aligned wind farms.
" These three new wind farms in
Greece mark an important milestone in
our carbon-free energy journey across
Europe and adds to the growing number
of renewable energy projects we've
supported in the country, " said Lindsay
McQuade, director of Energy for EMEA
at AWS. AWS EMEA is Amazon Web Services
EMEA SARL, the Amazon-owned
entity that sells AWS services in Europe,
the Middle East, and Africa. " With more
than 180 wind and solar projects enabled
across more than a dozen European
countries, we are committed to driving
the carbon-free energy transition forward
both for our operations and local communities, "
said McQuade.
Aer Soléir officials said the renewable
energy projects in Greece are part of
Amazon's Climate Pledge commitment to
achieve net-zero carbon across the company's
operations by 2040. The wind farms
also support Greece's National Energy and
Climate Plan, a strategy to generate more
than 80% of electricity in the country from
renewable energy resources by 2030.
Greece as of 2023 received about 48% of
its power from fossil fuels, primarily natural
gas along with coal and oil, according
to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
IEA data shows renewable energy-solar,
wind, and hydro-accounts for just more
than 50% of generation.
Amazon officials said the wind farms
www.powermag.com
3. The 44.4-MW Vermio Wind Farm, located
across Central and Western Macedonia, features
two installations-Vermio North and
Vermio South. Once operational, the project
will contribute to Greece's renewable energy
transition and power Amazon's operations in
the country. Courtesy: Amazon
are among more than 500 solar and
wind projects the company has supported
worldwide. The company also
said recently it had achieved its 100%
renewable energy goal, years ahead of
its original 2030 target.
" The collaboration between Aer Soléir,
the National Bank of Greece, and Amazon
is a ground-breaking commitment
to Greece's renewable energy future,
marked by a transformative investment
exceeding $1 billion, " said Theodoros Skylakakis,
Greece's minister of Energy & Environment,
during AWS Day on Nov. 19.
" Amazon has been steadily increasing its
investment in technology and infrastructure
across Greece, and this announcement
today underscores Amazon's pivotal
role in supporting sustainable development
in the region and their commitment
to driving innovation, economic growth,
and digital transformation across Greece. "
As part of its collaboration with Amazon,
Aer Soléir has allocated more than
€1 million ($1.049 million) for community
investments such as infrastructure improvements,
donations to schools and
emergency services, and economic support
for local agriculture and farmers. For
the Vermio wind farm, Aer Soléir has also
allocated an additional €1.8 million ($1.9
million) earmarked for regional reforestation
and biodiversity programs.
" Quantum is thrilled to support Aer
Soléir in their partnership with Amazon
in Greece, " said Wil Vanloh, founder and
CEO of Quantum Capital Group, a Houston,
Texas-based private equity firm serving
the energy industry. " Securing the
PPAs with Amazon demonstrates Aer
Soléir's success as a renewables development
platform and highlights our commitment
to advancing sustainable energy
solutions across Europe. " Quantum invested
in Aer Soléir (which means " clear
air " in Irish) in 2021.
POWER| January 2025
http://www.powermag.com
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