Communications infrastructure energy efficiency upgrade (Revoked)

Communications infrastructure energy efficiency upgrade is an Energy Efficiency project located nationwide across Australia. It was registered in October 2016 by BAI Communications Pty Ltd. Given the nature of this project, it applies to multi-site broadcast and telecommunications infrastructure spread across the country, rather than a single distinct land area.

Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency projects involve reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by upgrading, modifying, removing, or replacing existing energy-consuming equipment. By demonstrating energy savings against a historical baseline, participating businesses can earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for their efficiency gains.

Because the project encompasses nationwide communications infrastructure, it spans across a diverse array of environmental conditions. The transmission sites sit in climates ranging from semi-arid interiors to high-rainfall coastal regions, and encompass every major soil type found in Australia, including basalts, clays, and sandy loams. Correspondingly, local land use immediately surrounding these specific tower sites is highly variable, ranging from dense urban and commercial zones to remote agricultural grazing and native forestry.

Interestingly, the proponent, BAI Communications, is a major entity responsible for delivering critical broadcast networks (such as the transmission network for the ABC and SBS) and emergency services communications across the country. Despite its broad nationwide scope, this carbon project was short-lived; less than a year after registration, it was voluntarily revoked under section 33 of the Carbon Farming Initiative Act on August 9, 2017.