ENGIE To Develop A Net-Zero City in Northern Australia

French Energy Multinational electricity giant, ENGIE, has signed a 50-year strategic alliance with the city of Greater Springfield in Queensland, Australia, to help transition it to being a net-zero energy city by 2038. Quite simply, like a net zero energy building, we assume that a net zero energy city would be a city where the annual amount of energy consumed would be equal to the annual renewable energy produced by the city.  For ENGIE, this is a perfect challenge to demonstrate their increasing   competencies in the area of energy and overall smart city development. The firm, with an over 180 year old legacy, has been on a red hot streak of acquisitions lately, adding firms in the domain relentlessly in its drive to be a leader in this area. Just last week, we had covered their acquisition of Simpa Energy Networks , India.

Greater Springfield, is Australia’s newest suburban city, is built around connective pillars of health, education, and information technology. It already boasts of a population nearing 40,000 on the doorstep to the state’s capital, Brisbane. Over the next 20 years, Greater Springfield intends to triple its overall residents and working population, and develop within its Central Business District (CBD) up to 2.6 million square meters of mixed-use buildings and 22,850 apartments. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the city’s future will rely heavily on solid and sustainable planning now.

“By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities. Through our “Better Cities TODAY” approach, ENGIE is at the forefront of developing solutions to meet the economic, environmental and societal challenges that come with that growth. Greater Springfield is ENGIE’s first “Better Cities TODAY” project in Australia and I’m very pleased that ENGIE with its world-class know-how in energy, and particularly district energy, can contribute to the visionary Greater Springfield Project and to the well-being and harmonious life of its residents,” said Didier Holleaux, ENGIE Executive Vice President.

The “Better Cities TODAY” approach was launched in July of this year, and was designed around ENGIE’s identification of seven major challenges which face the vast majority of local authorities: making their facilities more energy efficient, encouraging savings, making cities safer places, providing greener, smarter, and more resilient mobility options, enhancing quality of life, increasing the appeal of their local area, and stimulating connectivity.

“As a recognized nation-building project we have one chance and a responsibility to get this right as an ongoing example for others to follow,” added Greater Springfield’s founder and city visionary, Maha Sinnathamby. “The focus on efficient and sustainable energy production, storage and integration with the community has never been more important for Australia and for us. I’m confident that ENGIE can assist us to be a world leader in innovative and smart city solutions.”

The strategic alliance between the two organizations intends to deliver investments in renewable energy generation and energy storage infrastructure, district energy schemes, green mobility solutions, digital technology, energy efficiency initiatives, and a dedicated research and innovation center. Thus, by 2038, the two hope that the six suburbs that constitute Greater Springfield will be generating more energy than they consume.

Picture Credit: ENGIE