BOSTON, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. (SR Inc) announced a new aggregated procurement featuring four virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) through its Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB). The transaction procures 30 MW of renewable energy from Catania Solartrack, a new 50 MW solar project in Catania, Sicily, developed by Aquila Clean Energy EMEA, a European developer of integrated & hybrid clean energy solutions and an independent power producer. DLA Piper represented the four NZCB offtakers for external legal support.
Covering about 247 acres, Catania Solartrack combines agriculture and power generation. The project’s 52 MW of installed capacity will avoid around 24,000 tons of atmospheric CO2 emissions annually, generating clean energy equivalent to the annual consumption of 27,000 households. The system was designed with PVcase, an integration to Autodesk’s AutoCAD solution, offering an end-to-end design and engineering platform for solar project developments. The project is scheduled for completion in March 2026 and commercial operation in September 2026.
The NZCB’s procurement strategy prioritizes causing new renewable energy capacity to be built, instead of buying energy attribute certificates (EACs) from already built, existing systems. This procurement will contribute to corporate buyers’ Scope 2 emissions goals while causing new renewable energy capacity in Catania. The project will generate approximately 61,000 Purchaser Caused Environmental Attribute Certificates (PC EACs) annually for the four off-takers throughout the contract’s 10-year duration.
This procurement’s PC EAC buyers work with the NZCB to access utility-scale clean energy’s financial and environmental benefits. The 30 MW of solar energy was procured through VPPA 2.0, the NZCB’s systematized reverse auction process that enables project financing by providing developers with guaranteed fixed-price revenue. The aggregations democratize renewable energy procurement for companies too small to undertake a full VPPA alone.
The corporate buyers leveraging their combined buying power for this purchase include Autodesk, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Synopsys, Inc., and one other NZCB buyer.
- Autodesk, a global provider of architecture, engineering, construction, product design, and media software, will procure 5 MW of solar energy to help achieve its 100% renewable electricity goals. The purchase supports Autodesk’s objective of adding new renewable energy to the grid, while contributing to the company’s broader decarbonization journey.
- IDEXX Laboratories, a global leader in pet healthcare innovation, will procure 5 MW of solar energy to support the addition of new, clean electricity to the European energy grid aligned with IDEXX’s European energy consumption. This aggregated renewable energy procurement, IDEXX’s third with the NZCB globally and first in Europe, supports its goal of procuring 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
- Synopsys, a leading provider of silicon-to-systems design solutions, will procure 7MW of solar energy, contributing to its ongoing renewable energy strategy and supporting its decarbonization efforts and SBTi-validated reduction targets.
- Finally, a fourth NZCB participant will procure renewable electricity generated from a 13 MW portion of the Catania Solartrack project.
“At Autodesk, we are committed to embedding sustainability throughout our business. Our investments in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies reflect our commitment to reducing emissions across our operations and empowering customers to do the same,” said Joe Speicher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Autodesk. “We are thrilled to join the NZCB because we understand that by advancing cleaner energy sources and embedding carbon intelligence into our design and make tools, we’re accelerating progress toward a more resilient and equitable lower-carbon future.”
“At Synopsys, we believe that operating responsibly is fundamental to building long-term value,” said Erika Varga McEnroe, SVP Legal and Deputy General Counsel at Synopsys, Inc. “This includes pursuing decarbonization efforts that make sound business sense, help us meet our SBTi-validated emissions reduction targets, and enable the availability of more renewable energy. We appreciate that NZCB and Aquila Clean Energy can support our efforts.”
“Our NZCB clients help to lead the corporate energy transition by procuring EACs that actually cause new renewable capacity,” said Jim Boyle, CEO of Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. “Corporations must secure EACs to meet their Scope 2 emissions goals, as they represent the only way to claim each megawatt hour of renewable energy – whether produced on your roof or 1,000 miles away. These NZCB buyers want a cost-effective clean energy strategy that is the proximate cause of new renewable projects. Our VPPA 2.0 approach makes possible both a commercially compelling procurement that individual buyers cannot do alone and one that actually causes new renewable energy projects. Best of all, our VPPA2.0 approach is scalable throughout the EU and has already caused more than a Gigawatt of new renewable energy projects in the U.S.”
Marcos Domínguez, Head of Power Hedging & Research at Aquila Clean Energy EMEA, commented: “This agreement is a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to sustainability and the wider shift towards a low-carbon economy. Collaborative purchasing agreements such as this one are essential for accelerating the large-scale deployment of renewable energy. By joining forces with other forward-thinking organizations, we can increase the efficiency of renewable energy access, helping to decarbonize the grid in a way that benefits the environment and the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners and stakeholders to build a more sustainable future.”
About Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. (SR Inc):
SR Inc is a Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of best practices in more sustainable business. SR Inc’s Sustainable Business & Enterprise Roundtable (SBER) provides strategic advisory and support in enterprise decarbonization. SR Inc's Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB) is a confidential buyers' community committed to creating corporate buyer-favorable renewable energy transactions to enable participating enterprises to chart a profitable path to net zero emissions globally.
About Aquila Clean Energy:
Aquila Clean Energy EMEA is a developer of integrated & hybrid clean energy solutions and an independent power producer. We deliver affordable, clean energy to European markets through innovative, technology-enabled solutions. Since 2006, we've developed and operated renewable energy projects, bringing over 2.5 GW to commercial operation. We manage an advanced development and construction pipeline of over 13 GW in solar PV, onshore wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) across 13 European countries. Aquila Clean Energy is part of Aquila Group.
Contact:
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