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Ice Cream Maker Generates Enough Green Energy to Power 41,000 Homes
Aberdeenshire-based ice cream producer Mackie’s is celebrating a record-breaking year in renewable energy generation. From June 2023 to May 2024, the company produced over 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green energy, the equivalent of powering 41,000 homes for one month. The energy produced is used towards fuelling the production of its popular ice cream and chocolate lines and the achievement follows more than a decade of investment in sustainable energy, with the Westertown farm dedicating over £6.5 million to renewable infrastructure upgrades.
The family farm’s diversified renewable energy portfolio includes 4 wind turbines, a biomass energy plant, a 10-acre solar farm, and a low-carbon refrigeration system designed to reduce the energy needed for ice cream production. The energy output for the 2023-2024 financial year marked a record high for the Aberdeenshire farm.
Stuart Common, Managing Director at Mackie’s, said: “Renewable energy has been central to our ethos of producing world-class ice cream and chocolate with minimal impact on the environment. We’re proud that our investment in wind, solar, and biomass energy has enabled us to achieve a milestone year in energy generation, contributing over 7.5 million kWh back to the national grid last financial year alone. This achievement reflects our commitment to sustainability and the importance of renewable energy to the future of our business.”
Mackie’s “sky to scoop” approach, powered entirely by renewable energy, integrates every production stage from dairy farming to packaging. The company emphasises its commitment to renewable self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility, establishing itself as a leader in sustainable production within Scotland’s food and drink industry.
This is a great example of a company making the positive changes to head in the direction towards a more sustainable world. To read more about how companies can implement changes to achieve net-zero, you can check out our article here.
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Sources:
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24705125.mackies-generates-enough-green-energy-41-000-homes