Feel good getting there

Did you know Sydney’s trains run on 100% renewable electricity? 

In fact, all the electric trains on our passenger rail networks are now powered entirely by renewable electricity, making New South Wales the first Australian state to have completed the switch.

Why is this a big deal? Because we’re talking big numbers. 

Last year, Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink used a combined 851,513 MWh of renewable electricity to keep trains moving and rail infrastructure, stations, works sites, offices, and other buildings operating across the networks. That represents around 83% of Transport for NSW’s total electricity consumption, and around 1.3% of the electricity used by the whole state of NSW in one year.

On this scale, choosing to use electricity generated only from renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydro, instead of through the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas, makes a big difference. 

In a move that amounted to an emissions reduction last year of around 579,029 tonnes (CO2-e) – the equivalent of taking approximately 268,000 cars off the road – in 2021 Transport changed the way we sourced electricity, opting out of non-renewable power on our train networks to create a more environmentally sustainable public transport system.

Because Transport doesn’t have a direct connection to renewable energy generating facilities capable of powering our train networks, switching to renewable power meant we still relied on purchasing electricity off the grid.

But when power produced by generators from around Australia enters the grid, all those megawatt hours of electricity – whether from coal, gas, wind, solar, or hydro – get pooled together before being distributed to businesses and households as a mix of fossil fuels and renewables. So how do you know your electricity comes from renewable sources if it’s indistinguishable from fossil-fuel generated power?

Here’s how it works. Large renewable power generators create certificates for every megawatt hour of renewable electricity they produce. Transport purchases these renewable energy certificates from the power generators or suppliers. We then surrender these certificates to verify that our electricity consumption from the national grid is matched by an equivalent amount of renewable generation.

Currently Transport’s renewable energy certificates are being sourced from a new solar farm at Avonlie near Narrandera in south-west NSW through a contract with supplier Iberdrola, and from 100% Australian generated hydro-electricity through an agreement with Snowy Hydro -owned retailer, Red Energy.

The use of renewable energy certificates is the most transparent way to ensure the supply of electricity that powers the trains you catch comes from 100% renewable sources. This certificate system also helps grow the local renewable energy industry, with revenue generated from the sale of certificates encouraging further investment in renewable energy generation.

As Transport moves closer towards our 2035 goal of net zero emissions across the entire NSW public transport network, every trip you make makes a difference. Tap on, feel good, and join us on the journey towards a more sustainable future.

Visit Transport’s Sustainability webpage to read more about how we’re working towards a future where every journey is people and planet positive.