Google Signs its First Offshore Wind Purchase Deal in Asia Pacific with CIP
Google announced its first offshore wind power purchase agreement in Asia, with a deal to buy renewable energy from a new wind farm in Taiwan, developed by energy infrastructure investment manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
The agreement marks the latest in a series of Taiwan-based clean energy transactions for Google, including a partnership announced last year with BlackRock to invest in the investment manager’s portfolio company New Green Power and to source renewable energy from its solar pipeline to power Google’s data centers and facilities, and a geothermal energy purchase deal announced last week with Baseload Capital.
According to Google, the agreements will contribute to its commitment to power all its operations on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) by 2030. Google parent Alphabet announced a 24/7 CFE ambition in 2020, aiming to run its entire business on carbon-free energy by 2030. Operating on 24/7 CFE means matching electricity demand with CFE supply every hour of every day, in every region where the company operates.
Under the new agreement, Google will purchase renewable energy from CIP’s 495 MW Fengmiao I offshore wind project. Once operational in 2027, the project will provide reliable power to support Google’s data center, cloud region and offices in Taiwan.
The agreement is the second power purchase agreement between Google and CIP for offshore wind power, the companies said. The PPA was made through CIP’s CI V flagship fund, focused on investing in new energy transition projects in low-risk countries. In March, CIP announced that it had raised more than €12 billion (USD$13.1 billion) at the fund’s final close.
I-Chun Hsiao, Senior Lead, APAC, Google Energy and Infrastructure, said:
“Fengmiao I is a key catalyst for the local offshore wind sector. Starting in 2027, this project will help power our data center, cloud region and offices in Taiwan. By integrating offshore wind with our existing solar and geothermal projects, we’re advancing our 24/7 carbon-free energy goal while helping Taiwan bring on new energy resources to help meet electricity demand.”