Coca-Cola switches to 100% renewable electricity
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has announced that it has begun sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, furthering its commitment to sustainable manufacturing in the UK.
Supplied by EDF Energy, the 100% renewable electricity package will comply with Ofgem’s Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme. The package is also fully compliant with the emissions reporting guidelines set out within the global Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
The news coincides with the launch of a major renewable project by CCEP, with all electricity generated by a brand new solar farm being used to support production of its famous brands at Europe’s largest soft drinks factory, in Wakefield.
The solar farm covers eight hectares and will produce up to five megawatts of energy. Together with the renewable electricity sourced from solar, 3,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved at the Wakefield site per year – equal to taking more than 1,700 cars off the road.
The solar farm delivers 15% of the site’s total electricity use and reduces its operational carbon footprint by 8.6%.
Nick Brown, head of sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners, says, “At CCEP we are committed to minimising the impact of our operations, with a core goal to reduce the carbon footprint of the drink in the consumers’ hand by a third in time for 2020. By guaranteeing that 100% of the electricity we use comes from renewable sources we’re taking a major step forward in achieving this.
“The Wakefield solar farm is a long-term sustainability project for CCEP, capable of producing up to 5MW of energy at full capacity.”
Stephen Butterfield, landowner of the solar farm site, comments, “As a resident and business owner near Wakefield, I’m very excited to be working with one of the world’s largest brands on such a worthwhile initiative, harnessing renewable energy from Yorkshire to bring soft drinks to people across the country. It’s fantastic to be utilising my land to support local manufacturing, and in a way that helps to protect our environment.”
