NBN Co completes solar deals to hit 100% renewables

NBN Co has started drawing electricity from the new Munna Creek Solar Farm on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, completing a trio of power purchase agreements that underpin its target of sourcing all of its electricity from renewable sources from December 2025.

The national broadband operator has contracted around 59 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity a year from the 467-hectare site near Gympie. This represents more than 20% of the solar farm's expected annual output.

Munna Creek is owned and operated by global industrial energy company Metlen Energy & Metals under a power purchase agreement with NBN Co. The project is the second solar farm in NBN Co's portfolio, alongside a wind contract in Victoria.

The solar farm uses about 255,000 panels. Overall generation is expected to match the annual electricity use of around 41,100 Australian homes.

During the construction phase, the project supported about 150 local jobs. Munna Creek has now been officially opened by NBN Co's Chief Development Officer, Regional and Remote, Gavin Williams, and Metlen's Head of EPC, Oceania Region, Ian Kirkham.

Renewables strategy

Munna Creek is the third and final asset under NBN Co's current power purchase strategy. The company has previously signed long-term renewable contracts for solar generation in New South Wales and wind generation in Victoria.

A solar farm at West Wyalong in the Riverina region of New South Wales began supplying NBN Co in 2023. That facility is supported by the company's first power purchase agreement, a 10-year deal for around 90 GWh of electricity a year.

In early 2025, NBN Co also began receiving renewable electricity from AGL under a six-year agreement tied to the Macarthur Wind Farm in south-western Victoria. The contract covers about 90 GWh of energy a year.

Togethe,r the three agreements form the backbone of NBN Co's strategy on renewable electricity. The company has set a goal of 100% renewable electricity purchases from December 2025 and has linked that ambition to a broader climate plan.

The solar projects associated with NBN Co's contracts add new generation to the grid. The company states that this supports Australia's national objective of reaching 82% renewable penetration in the electricity system by 2030 as part of the transition towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Climate targets

NBN Co has set a target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its operations and value chain by the 2045 financial year. The company has committed to deep cuts in both its direct emissions and those in its supply chain.

Its long-term targets, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, include maintaining at least a 95% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions from the 2030 financial year through to 2045, relative to a 2021 baseline. It also plans a 90% reduction in absolute scope 3 emissions by 2045 from the same base year.

These follow previously announced near-term science-based targets. NBN Co has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 95% by the 2030 financial year, relative to 2021. It also aims to cut scope 3 emissions from the use of sold products by 60% per device over the same period.

The company has set expectations for its supply chain as well. It has been stated that 80% of its suppliers by spend, covering purchased goods and services, capital goods, and downstream transportation and distribution, will have science-based targets in place by the 2027 financial year.

NBN Co's electricity target is supported by its membership of RE100, a global initiative focused on renewable electricity that includes more than 400 large businesses. NBN Co was the first Australian telecommunications company and the first Australian government business enterprise to join the group.

Network and emissions

NBN Co links its energy strategy with broader investment in its fixed-line network. The company is extending fibre deeper into communities as data demand grows across households and businesses.

It has been stated that fibre deployment supports lower long-term network power demand. The company also expects this to improve the resilience of services for customers.

NBN Co aims to make its Home Hyperfast wholesale speed tier, which is capable of peak wholesale download speeds of 2 Gbps, available to up to 10 million premises by the end of 2025. This would represent about 90% of premises on its fixed-line network, subject to service qualification and network capacity.

Williams said the latest renewable milestone reflects the scale of the network's electricity usage.

"The nbn network is a significant consumer of electricity and the harnessing of power from all three of our PPAs has enabled us to meet our target of 100% renewable electricity purchases from December 2025. We set a target in 2021, and with the successful completion of the Munna Creek Solar Farm, we are delivering on our commitments. Expanding the use of renewable energy sources and investing in energy efficiency, including deployment of fibre, enables us to drive down our emissions and operating costs."

"The nbn network is critical digital infrastructure, and as we support the online needs of over 20 million people across Australia every day, we are committed to operating a climate-resilient resource-efficient network and business, aligned with the latest climate science, which protects the natural environment," said Williams.