Coca-Cola bottles 100% renewables target thanks to 1.2 million-panel solar farm

Share

Sydney-headquartered fast-moving consumer goods company (FMCG) Coca-Cola Europacific Partner’s Australia (CCEP) has signed a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) brokered by France headquartered energy company ENGIE.

Under the VPPA, CCEP will purchase a percentage of renewable energy and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) from the newly built Wellington North Solar Farm (WNSF) owned by United-Kingdom-headquartered Lightsource bp.

Located 7 kilometres northwest of Wellington, New South Wales (NSW), WNSF is built across 970 hectares, a site three times the size of Sydney’s central business district and uses more than 1.2 million solar panels with capacity to generate 925,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually.

The agreement will make CCEP Australia one of the first FMCG players in the country to achieve the Climate Group RE100 commitment, which is to power its Australian operations with 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025, putting it a year ahead of schedule.

The company has also invested in rooftop solar panels at its production sites around Australia and secured several key power purchase agreements.

CCEP Australia Managing Director Orlando Rodriguez said the company has set a series of ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint and environmental impact.

“To reach our renewable electricity goal in Australia, we have engaged in strategic power purchase agreements and made the most of our rooftop real estate with solar panels at many of our facilities across the country,” Rodriguez said.

ENGIE Global Energy Management and Sales (GEMS) Australia Managing Director Jules Dufournier celebrated the long-term commitment of CCEP and the VPPA.

“We are excited to support Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, a leading manufacturer in Australia, on its journey towards net zero. ENGIE GEMS is a global leader in this space, connecting the renewable energy industry to like-minded businesses with the aim of accelerating the energy transition. This agreement is a great demonstration of cross-sector collaboration to achieve a shared goal,” Dufournier said.

RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world’s largest businesses committed to 100% renewable power.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.

Popular content

Newcastle port progresses clean energy precinct plans
15 October 2024 Port of Newcastle, one of the largest coal ports in the world, is pushing ahead with its Clean Energy Precinct development, signing agreements for key...