Apple today said it’s advanced its self-imposed 2030 carbon neutral goal by investing in the world’s largest onshore wind turbines in Denmark and new clean energy efforts in Germany.
The company is investing in the construction of two of the world’s largest onshore wind turbines near the Danish town of Esbjerg. This source of renewable energy will bring Apple’s supply chain and products one step closer to carbon neutrality.
Located near the Danish town of Esbjerg, the 200-meter-tall turbines are expected to produce 62 gigawatt hours each year (enough to power almost 20,000 homes) and will act as a test site for powerful offshore wind turbines. The power produced at Esbjerg will support Apple’s data center in Viborg, with all surplus energy going into the Danish grid.
This is part of Apple’s plan to transition all of its European-based suppliers to renewable power. For instance, German supplier Varta committed this week to running its Apple production with 100 percent renewable power. Other European suppliers like Henkel, tesa SE, DSM Engineering Materials, STMicroelectronics and Solvay are working toward clean energy solutions as well.
Apple launched the program in October 2015 to help suppliers reduce their energy use and transition to 100 percent renewable electricity. Since its launch, 72 manufacturing partners in 17 different countries have committed to 100 percent renewable energy for Apple production. Once all of Apple’s supplier projects are completed, these commitments will avoid over 14.3 million metric tons of CO2e annually — the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road each year.
In the same press release, Apple mentions that its new iCloud data center in Viborg, Denmark is now operational, running on 100% renewable energy. The 45,000-square-meter facility takes advantage of advanced green building designs and a cooling system based on natural air flows that significantly decrease water and energy consumption. The new data center power services like iCloud storage, the App Store, Apple Music, iMessage, Siri and more for European users.
Apple last month announced an ambitious plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business by 2030, meaning every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.