Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), a food and beverage raw materials and ingredients processing and distribution company, recently partnered with Commodity Centre Group (CCG) to create a cocoa bean warehouse terminal that runs off renewable energy at the Port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
OFI installed nearly 7,000 solar panels at the warehouse, utilizing approximately 180,000 square feet of rooftop space to maximize solar production. The panels are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1,350 tons annually – equivalent to the carbon absorption of 67,500 trees.
“We’re always looking at ways to drive decarbonization across our cocoa value chain from the farm to our processing facilities and warehouses. The milestone of turning our Amsterdam warehouse operation solar-powered is another example of how we’re not only progressing towards our own environmental goals but also supporting those of our customers,” said Chris Beetge, President of OFI Europe, Middle East, and North Africa.
The Port of Amsterdam warehouse is crucial to OFI’s ability to provide high-quality cocoa beans to its confectionery brand customers across the globe. The warehouse utilizes a conveyor belt system to efficiently direct the cocoa into one of 110 pens, allowing OFI to create bulk micro lots, which CCG manages.
According to OFI, this system improves bean segregation to preserve flavor and ensure consistent quality and traceability.
Through this solar panel project, this necessary process now operates exclusively using renewable energy. The solar project also directly aligns with OFI’s commitment to sustainable cocoa through its Cocoa Compass Initiative, which inspired the company to fuel its biomass boilers with cocoa shells.
