Global tech giant Apple has pulled out of a deal to buy power from a proposed Australian windfarm majority-owned by the billionaire Andrew Forrest which is at the centre of a threatened species controversy.
Apple did not say why it had pulled out of the deal to buy power from the Upper Burdekin windfarm, but developer Windlab said the agreement had broken down because of delays in developing the $1bn project.
Conservation group WWF-Australia revealed it had previously met with representatives from Apple and Windlab to raise “highly problematic” impacts on threatened species.
Cam Crawford, WWF-Australia’s energy transition manager, said: “We called for the project to be substantially downscaled or relocated to already cleared land with good wind resources. We welcome Apple’s decision this week. It shows leadership and a commitment to renewables that are good for climate and nature.”
Windlab – which is majority-owned by Forrest’s Tattarang group through its company Squadron Energy – is expected to apply for federal environmental approval for the project later this year, and wants to put 80 turbines and 150km of tracks on a site inland from Ingham and 4.8km from the boundary of the Wet Tropics world heritage area.
Conservationists have said they are “deeply concerned” about the impacts of multiple windfarm developments planned for the region.
In a public report on the environmental impacts of the project, Windlab has said it would have unavoidable and significant impacts on four threatened species, including koalas and greater gliders.
Announcing the deal last August, the Apple chief executive, Tim Cook, said the company was “proud to celebrate Apple’s long history in Australia, and to deepen our shared commitment to protecting the planet and creating opportunity in people’s lives”.
Apple said at the time it was “proud to play a part in Australia’s transition to a cleaner energy grid, and thrilled that Apple will soon support Australian customers’ use of their favourite products with clean energy”.
But in an about-turn – first reported in the Australian Financial Review – the company said in a statement: “Apple is no longer participating in the Upper Burdekin project. Apple will continue to explore renewable energy projects in Australia.”
The Guardian asked Apple why it had made the decision, but had not received a response before publishing.
The Upper Burdekin windfarm was to have been the company’s second project geared to “address the electricity customers use to charge their Apple devices”.
Windlab said in a statement: “Windlab and Apple have agreed to terminate a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the Upper Burdekin Wind Farm.
“The development phase of the project has taken significantly longer than originally anticipated, and the project no longer meets the PPA’s milestone requirements.”
A public environment report published by Windlab said 769 hectares would need to be cleared, most of which is habitat for four nationally threatened species: Sharman’s rock-wallaby, koala, northern greater glider and red goshawk.
Koalas, greater gliders and the red goshawk – Australia’s rarest bird of prey – are all endangered, with the rock-wallaby considered vulnerable.
Windlab has said it will buy and protect suitable habitat for the affected species nearby, in a step known as biodiversity offsetting.
Crawford said in meetings with Apple and Windlab the group “restated our support for a rapid roll out of renewables that is fast, best and just”.
He said: “There needs to be better processes and approvals for proponents, communities and stakeholders to ensure that we can get the right renewables projects in the right locations as quickly as possible.
“We need to make sure that we don’t damage nature or leave nature behind as we move to power our domestic energy needs with renewables.”
The government authority that manages the Wet Tropics world heritage area has expressed concern about the cumulative impacts of several windfarms planned for the region, including the Upper Burdekin project.
Scott Buchanan, the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s executive director, said the authority had sent a submission in response to the public environment report.
“Our position on the [public environment report] is that it is insufficient, in its current form, to properly inform an assessment of the potential impacts of the project.”
Windlab’s statement said: “Following more than two years’ in-depth environmental studies and consultation, we have delivered a project design that preserves more than 98% of native vegetation on the cattle property where the project is located.”
The project would also become part of a national koala monitoring program led by the CSIRO, the company said. Expert ecologists would be appointed and other steps, including weed and predatory pest reduction and the relocation of wildlife, would be taken.
