SYDNEY, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's largest supermarket chain, Woolworths, is set to transition its stores in one state to 100 percent green energy, a trial run for going fully green nationwide by 2025.
The retailer announced on Tuesday that from July all of its operations would flip the switch to carbon neutrality in South Australia.
"This is the way the world is moving. Private capital is now leading the charge in backing clean energy, which presents a big opportunity for South Australian jobs," said South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.
Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the state-wide transition would be the first step in the leap to all the stores across the nation converting to green energy by 2025.
"South Australia has helped lead the transition to renewable energy in Australia, combining solar, wind and batteries to enable us to make this leap forward in our mission to be powered entirely by renewable sources by 2025," said Banducci.
The transition of 87 stores would be made possible by the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, which as the largest wind and solar hybrid project in the Southern Hemisphere has 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar panels.
The project produces on 900 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy each year, enough to power an estimated 180,000 households.
Following the transition in July, the chain is poised to gradually replace existing traditional energy contracts across the country, which will convert an estimated 1 percent of Australia's total energy going green.
"We're proud to be making tangible changes today that will create a better tomorrow for generations to come and we look forward to building on this in other states over the next three years," added Banducci.
The supermarket has also pledged to transition its entire supply chain to net positivity by at least 2050. ■