From today, 75 % of the electricity used to make Britvic soft drinks in Great Britain – from Fruit Shoot to Tango, Robinsons to J2O – is coming from a 160-acre solar farm in Northamptonshire.
Providing clean energy to factories in Rugby, London and Leeds, the ten-year solar power agreement covers three quarters of Britvic’s electricity needs in this country – with the aim of reaching 100 % solar powered operations in the near future.
The solar site, commissioned in January 2024 and operational from today, will generate 33 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy, enough to power the equivalent 11,500 homes. This could cut as much as 1,113 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the drink manufacturer’s supply chain each year – the equivalent of planting 260,000 trees.
Working with renewables provider Atrato Onsite Energy, the 650,000 square metre solar installation, will scale up to produce 28 MWp. This initiative is part of Britvic’s long-term commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Sarah Webster, Britvic’s Director of Sustainable Business, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to ensure that the some of the country’s most recognisable and much-loved soft drinks are powered by renewable energy.
“We know consumers want to buy more sustainable products, and this is another step towards reducing carbon emissions and our long-term sustainability targets.”
The project makes use of a former quarry site that is unsuitable for farming, with double-sided solar panels that use tracking devices to follow the sun, increasing efficiency by 10 %. The site will provide opportunities for allowing nature to flourish – a rewilding approach that will increase biodiversity.
The announcement is the latest milestone in Britvic’s Healthier People, Healthier Planet sustainability strategy. Last year Britvic signed an agreement to produce Ballygowan Mineral Water using 100 % renewable electricity from wind energy. The company also launched an £8 million project to improve energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions by 50 % at its Beckton site.
Gurpreet Gujral, Managing Director, renewable energy at Atrato Group said: “We are thrilled to complete this landmark and unique agreement with Britvic, reducing carbon emissions while delivering attractively priced energy. Our business model is all about designing unique structures for clients tailored to their energy consumption needs and real estate site constraints, while delivering on sustainability targets and lower energy costs.”
Chris Bowden, Managing Director of Squeaky Clean Energy, said: “Having pioneered the use of corporate power purchase agreements in the UK it has become abundantly clear that new and innovative contracting structures are needed to accelerate the transition to clean energy. The Squeaky team is incredibly proud to have scored another clean energy first with a unique power purchase agreement arrangement that enables Atrato to de-risk the financing of its project and Britvic to deliver on its Healthier People, Healthier Planet sustainability mission.”
About the data, originally provided by Britvic: Carbon dioxide reduction is calculated based on the CarbonFund’s assessment that a single kWh is responsible for 0.3712 kg of carbon dioxide.
Britvic, the FTSE 250 global soft drinks business, has partnered with Atrato Onsite Energy, a leading solar energy provider, to deliver clean energy to Britvic via an innovative 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Atrato’s new solar installation in Northamptonshire will generate energy exclusively for Britvic. It will have a total capacity of 28 MW and will be capable of generating 33.3 GWh pa of clean energy, the equivalent of powering 11,500 homes or planting 260,000 trees. The electricity generated will be enough to power 75 % of Britvic’s current operations in Great Britain, including its Beckton and Leeds factories, which can produce 2,000 recyclable bottles per minute for a portfolio of iconic brands including Tango, Pepsi and Robinsons.
As part of Britvic’s Healthier People, Healthier Planet sustainability mission to make a positive contribution to society, they are tackling their carbon footprint head on. Through innovation, utilising low carbon technology and energy sources, and establishing a more sustainable supply chain, Britvic is determined to play its part in securing a healthier future for the planet.
Britvic has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has led the industry as the first UK soft drinks company to have a 1.5 °C target verified by the Science Based Targets initiative. Britvic has demonstrated its commitment to this goal, having reduced its direct carbon emissions by 34 % since 2017 and generated 57 % of its energy needs from renewable sources in 2022, up from 28 % in 20181.
Progress has been achieved through significant investments across Britvic’s manufacturing base. For example, Britvic has installed five biomass boilers in Brazil, delivered multiple energy saving projects, is investing £ 4 million in a heat recovery system at Beckton, and they’ve recently announced a new Corporate Power Purchase Agreement in Ireland that will ensure that Ballygowan, Ireland’s iconic water brand, is produced using 100 % renewable electricity harnessed from local wind energy.
In this latest milestone, Britvic’s agreement with Atrato has provided the investment security needed to build the new solar farm in an old quarry in Northamptonshire. This will see 28 MW of new additional renewable energy capacity created as a result of the deal.
Atrato will supply Britvic with solar electricity that is commercialised on a pay as you generate basis but is delivered on a baseload basis that is consistent to the consumption needs of the company. This innovative and long-term PPA has underwritten the Atrato’s investment into this solar project.
Atrato has fully financed the solar installation, which is expected to be commissioned in early 2024. In only 19 months since IPO, Atrato has built a portfolio of 40 solar sites across the UK. Atrato is the green energy solution provider of choice for many UK companies with an impressive client list of blue-chip corporates including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Anglian Water, Nissan and Amazon.
1Britvic Annual Report 2022, page 3
“The world’s most sustainable company 2019” ranks no. 2 on Corporate Knights’ list for 2020
Today, Corporate Knights, a specialized Toronto-based media and investment research firm, published their annual ranking “Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World” 2020 in Davos, Switzerland. Last year’s no. 1 in the ranking, global bioscience company Chr. Hansen, cements its position at the top by coming out second on the list for 2020.
A catalyst for change
The renewed ranking in the world elite of most sustainable companies comes after a remarkable 2019 for the 145-year-old company. Highlights of the year included the no. 1 position on Corporate Knights’ list, inclusion on Fortune Magazine’s Change the World List of 50 companies that do well by doing good and the Golden Peacock Global Award for Sustainability presented in London as recently as November.
Another milestone in Chr. Hansen’s sustainability journey was reached when the company announced a groundbreaking agreement with Better Energy of switching 100 % to green electricity from two new solar parks, wind energy and bio gas for its Danish operations by April 2020. Through its engagement in establishing the new solar parks, Chr. Hansen is contributing positively to the transition to green energy in Denmark as a whole. While its Danish operations account for almost half of the company’s total electricity consumption, the model is scalable and can be introduced in other countries going forward.
The background for ranking Chr. Hansen the second most sustainable company in the world 2020:
- Chr. Hansen improved its total score against Corporate Knights’ indicators. Although this was not enough for a first place this year, the company is still ranked as the number 1 most sustainable food ingredient company.
- Clean revenue: Chr. Hansen has been able to account for and document its direct product impact on the UN Global Goals. 82 % of the revenue directly supports the UN Global Goals, and PWC has reviewed the methodology to document this.
- The UN Global Goals are used as a framework to link the impact of the corporate strategy to sustainable development, and the performance is measured and reported on an annual basis.
- Environmental performance: Chr. Hansen scored high relative to its peers on its environmental performance, specifically related to energy, CO2, water and waste. Continuously reducing its environmental footprint has been a priority during the past year. During 2019 it led to the partnership with Better Energy where Chr. Hansen committed to switching 100 % green electricity from two new solar parks, wind energy and bio gas for its Danish operations by April 2020
- Diversity: Chr. Hansen score high on % of female directors, and also get some points from female senior executives and sustainability pay link
About Corporate Knights and the ranking
“Global 100”
Corporate Knights Inc., the company for clean capitalism, includes the sustainable business magazine Corporate Knights and a research division that produces rankings and financial product ratings based on corporate sustainability performance.
The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World is an annual project initiated by Corporate Knights. Launched in 2005, the Global 100 is announced annually on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Biggest privately financed rooftop solar panel on the east coast of Thailand
It is one of the biggest and most impressive innovations in Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park. The gigantic rooftop solar panel on the SIG packaging plant in Rayong, Thailand, is the largest of its kind in the entire region and has now been officially opened.
According to its Power Development Plan, Thailand wants to cover 40 % of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2036 – a goal that SIG has already achieved. All SIG production plants worldwide are already powered by green electricity. In order to produce some of this itself, the Rayong packaging plant built its own photovoltaic system in cooperation with Symbior Solar.
Solar cells are one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources. To install this huge solar roof supports SIG’s commitment to becoming a net-positive company by contributing more to the society and the environment than it takes out across the value chain.
The installation of the solar roof on the SIG production plant is a result of the close cooperation between SIG and Symbior Solar, who designed and installed an effective solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the roof the SIG production plant in Rayong. Covering an area of 17,664 sqm, this solar project with 9,048 solar panels can produce up to 4,431 megawatt hours of electricity per year which in turn reduces CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions by up to 90 %, whilst also saving electricity cost. SIG packaging plant in Rayong can now proudly claim the title of being the biggest solar PV installation in the entire Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park. It is thus the largest privately financed photovoltaic system on an industrial site on the entire east coast of Thailand.
Some key facts:
- The production plant in Rayong is the first in the world of our SIG production plants to use a solar roof to generate energy.
- Installation Capacity: 3.3 MW
- Power generation 4,431 MWh/year
- CO2 reduction: 2,242 tons/year (0.506 kg/kWh)
- Total solar cells: 9,048 panels installed
- The solar PV module covers 17,664 sqm on SIG Rayong plant’s roof.
