Coca-Cola Now Being Made by Solar Energy in Wakefield
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has launched a major renewable project, 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, at Wakefield in England. The solar farm covers eight hectares, the size of twelve football pitches, and will produce up to five Mega Watts of energy. Located 1.5 miles from CCEP’s Wakefield site, it is directly connected to the factory via a series of underground cables, delivering 15%* of the site’s total electricity use as part of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The project will help to reduce the site’s operational carbon footprint by 8.6%, with approximately 900 cans and 330 PET bottles produced using renewable electricity every minute.
The solar panels have been installed by solar PV specialists, Athos Solar and the farm has been developed in collaboration with local landowner and businessman, Stephen Butterfield who owns the fields. The site will also maintain dual-use as grazing land for the sheep that live on the fields, demonstrating CCEP’s commitment to preserving the natural habitat.
The solar farm is the latest step in the Wakefield factory’s carbon savings. In 2014, a £1 million combined heat and power (CHP) system was also launched at the site, saving some 1,500 tons of CO2 a year across the factory’s operations, a 5.6% reduction for the site. Together with the renewable electricity sourced from solar, 3,800 tonnes of CO2 will be saved at the Wakefield site per year – equal to taking more than 1,700 cars off the road.
The launch coincides with the news that the business has begun sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, as part of a collaboration with EDF Energy, furthering its commitment to sustainable manufacturing in Great Britain.
John Newton, Associate Director at the Carbon Trust, says: “Working with CCEP over the past decade, the company has continuously made impressive reductions in its environmental impact, at the same time as taking a strong leadership position on sustainability issues. This new move to purchase renewable electricity is yet another positive step forwards from the company, demonstrating that the business case for going low carbon is no barrier to commercial success.”
Coca-Cola European Partners is the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler. CCEP is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) in Andorra, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
In Great Britain, CCEP employs some 4,000 people across England, Scotland and Wales at manufacturing sites, offices and depots. It is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its products and operations, with a particular focus on sustainable packaging, water stewardship, and energy and climate protection.
