Food packaging firm Huhtamaki has signed what it called the largest solar Power Purchase Agreement in the packaging industry in Europe, taking a step towards using 100% renewable electricity and a carbon neutral production by 2030.
The firm has signed two 10-year virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPA) with BayWa r.e that will cover Huhtamaki’s European operations. As part of the VPPAs, the firm will set up two new solar installations in Spain and add renewable energy to the European grid.
The solar sites will have a combined volume of 200 GWh of renewable electricity each year. The energy will be sufficient to power nearly 25,000 homes and save more than 89,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Huhtamaki’s President and CEO Charles Héaulmé said, “We are committed to our ambitious 2030 strategy to become the first choice in sustainable packaging solutions. This means developing a circular approach for our operations and products. We are fully committed to supporting the transition to a zero-carbon economy and have a climate strategy with clear targets and action plans to address all our emissions. Renewable electricity plays a major role in delivering on our ambitions and the agreement we have just signed with BayWa r.e. demonstrates that it is possible to achieve significant progress in a short time.”
“The progress Huhtamaki is making in switching to 100% renewable electricity plays a significant role also in delivering on our ambition of carbon neutral production by 2030. Additional measures are however needed to address our Scope 1 emissions. In addition to improvements in energy efficiency these include switching to alternative fuels and electrification of systems,” added Thomasine Kamerling Executive Vice President, Sustainability and Communications.
