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Coca-Cola Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Milestone with 1.2 Million-Panel Solar Farm
Coca-Cola Europacific Partner’s Australia (CCEP) has signed a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), brokered by French energy company ENGIE. This deal will allow CCEP to meet its target to use 100% renewable electricity across its Australian operations by the 1st January 2025, 1 year ahead of schedule, which is a major milestone in the company’s journey towards net zero.
Under the VPPA, CCEP will purchase a percentage of renewables and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) from the newly built Wellington North Solar Farm (WNSF), owned by UK headquartered Lightsource bp. The solar farm is built across 970 hectares, using more than 1.2 million solar panels with the capacity to generate 925,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually.
CCEP joined the global RE100 initiative in 2021, when it made a commitment to power its Australian operations with 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025. The company has since supercharged its efforts, investing in rooftop solar panels at its production sites around Australia and securing several key power purchase agreements.
Orlando Rodriguez, Managing Director at CCEP Australia said: “As the maker and distributor of some of the world’s most popular beverages, we have set a series of ambitious targets to reduce our 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.”
“Our partnership with ENGIE and the signing of the VPPA agreement has accelerated our transition to reach our RE100 target in Australia a full year early. This will make CCEP one of the first FMCG players in the country to achieve the RE100 commitment and is an important milestone for our business,” he added.
In recent years, Coca-Cola employees have undergone training through the REI’s courses, enhancing their expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
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