Transgrid, the manager and operator of the high-voltage electricity transmission network in NSW and ACT, has introduced new targets for reducing carbon emissions.
The company has committed to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 – compared with a base year of 2021 – and is targetting net zero by 2040.
Additionally, Transgrid is committing to reducing Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, and capital goods, by 48 per cent per million dollars spent on these two categories by 2030 – again, compared with a base year of 2021 – and net zero by 2050.
“As we build a better power system for all Australians and accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy, we will work equally hard to minimise our climate impact,” says Transgrid CEO Brett Redman.
“The future will be powered by clean energy and as the largest network in the National Electricity Market (NEM) our infrastructure is critical – there will be no transition without transmission.
“We have a responsibility to deliver a fit-for-future electricity network that minimises climate impact in construction and operation, and to do that we are accelerating our program of works and rolling out credible and ambitious long-term greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets.
“The transmission system is central to all decarbonisation scenarios for Australia. We’re building the energy superhighway with major projects such as EnergyConnect, HumeLink and VNI West to increase the sharing of renewable energy across the NEM; and investing in battery technology and, through our commercial arm, Lumea, physically connecting renewable generators to the network.”
Transgrid aims to achieve its net-zero goals through three emissions streams:
- Direct emissions (Scope 1): Eliminating all emissions from its fleet of passenger and commercial vehicles by 2030, and supporting commercialisation of an alternative to SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride), a gas currently used in network equipment.
- Indirect emissions (Scope 2): Using 100 per cent renewable electricity in all Transgrid offices and depots by 2025, and reducing line losses.
- Indirect emissions (Scope 3): Supporting development of low-emissions products, particularly to enable expansion of the network; a requirement that 50 per cent of company suppliers have science-based targets by 2025; and supporting Transgrid employees to reduce their emissions footprints.