AGL powers Sydney Water’s Advanced Water Recycling Centre with solar

We worked with Sydney Water and their delivery partner, John Holland, to deliver a large-scale, onsite solar farm for their Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in New South Wales. The 4.575 megawatt-peak solar farm, which has over 7,500 solar panels, improves the sustainability and energy resilience of one of Western Sydney’s most significant infrastructure projects. It also helps Sydney Water move towards their Net Zero and decarbonisation goals.

Birdseye view of AGL, John Holland and Sydney Water’s Advanced Water Recycling Centre

About the Advanced Water Recycling Centre

Designed to support population and economic growth in Western Sydney, the AWRC will be one of the southern hemisphere’s most advanced wastewater recycling facilities.¹ When completed in 2026, the large volumes of high-quality recycled water it will produce can be used for homes and businesses, as well as industry, agriculture and public spaces.¹

The commercial solar farm we delivered

AGL partnered with John Holland to design and install a 4.575 megawatt-peak ground mount solar farm with 7,500+ panels and 2 medium-voltage power stations. This solar farm is expected to supply a large amount of onsite solar energy for the AWRC, enough to power around 1,200 average Australian homes annually.²

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Benefits of the solar farm for Sydney Water

Onsite solar energy generation

Expected to supply 42% of the AWRC’s initial electricity needs.³

Supporting net zero goals

Helping Sydney Water reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 (Scope 1 & 2) and 2040 (Scope 3).⁴

Strong emissions reduction

Estimated to reduce emissions by over 21,000 tCO₂ over the life of the asset.⁵

The challenges we successfully overcame

We’re proud to have successfully collaborated with both Sydney Water and John Holland to support one of Australia’s most advanced water infrastructure projects and a more sustainable future for Western Sydney.

The project came with several challenges, including changing weather, complex high and low-voltage works, and coordinating multiple teams. Through strong collaboration with John Holland we delivered the solar farm safely and to a high technical standard despite these challenges.

Tailored solar solutions for business

Discover how our innovative energy solutions, including commercial solar, can help your business achieve its decarbonisation and sustainability goals.

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¹Source: Sydney Water - Upper South Creek AWRC

²Estimate based on annual solar farm generation of approximately 8,178,142 kWh and average Australian household energy use of about 6,667 kWh per year (Australian Energy Update 2025, www.energy.gov.au).

³Estimate reduction in emissions by over 12,000 tCO₂ over the life of the asset, confirmed by Sydney Water's Sustainability Team.

⁴Source: Sydney Water - Our path to net carbon zero and beyond, page 4

⁵Source: Interview with Dimi Shortland, Sydney Water Acting Project Director