A leading supplier of concrete and quarry products in Australia has signed an agreement to switch to renewable energy as the transition toward cleaner energy sources continues.

In what the company says is an Australian first, Victorian based quarry and concrete supplier Mawsons Concrete and Quarries says it has entered into an agreement worth gas and renewable supplier ENGIE to purchase all of its energy from renewable sources from 1 September in relation to all of the company’s sites which are connected to mains power.

Whilst some sites will still need to continue using diesel gensets because either they are not connected to the grid or the company does not own the land on which the site is located, Mawsons said this was a positive step forward and one which will save around 5,200 tonnes of CO2 annually as well as delivering energy supply and price security in a volatile market.

“This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it,” John Mawson, Managing Director, Mawsons, said.

“We want to do our part to help reduce global warming and manage the risks of drought and bushfires in the future. We also believe in helping local industries to grow, and the renewable power sector is a major investor and employer in regional Australia.”

The move adds to other initiatives being undertaken by Mawsons, which is also installing rooftop solar panels across several of its concrete plants.

The latest announcement comes as Australia is undergoing a boom in renewable energy generation.

In its Clean Energy Australia report published in April, the Clean Energy Council of Australia said construction was underway on $20.4111 billion worth of renewable energy projects which would generate around 11.419 gigawatts of energy annually and generate approximately 14,679 jobs.

Currently, renewable energy accounts for around 24 percent of electricity generation throughout Australia.

The largest sources of renewable energy generation in Australia are wind (35.4 percent), hydro (35.7 percent, small scale solar (22.3 percent) and large scale solar (9.3 percent).

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