Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) will meet its target to use 100% renewable electricity across its Australian operations by 1 January 2025, one year ahead of schedule.
The achievement will be made possible thanks to the signing of a new virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) provided by global renewable energy player, ENGIE.
CCEP joined the global RE100 initiative back in 2021 when it made a commitment to power its Australian operations with 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025. The company says it has since “supercharged” its efforts, investing in rooftop solar panels at its production sites around Australia and securing several key power purchase agreements.
This latest 10-year agreement with ENGIE will enable CCEP to secure the remaining energy needed to fulfil its RE100 commitment.
“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,” says CCEP Australia Managing Director Orlando Rodriguez.
“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.”
Under the PPA with ENGIE, CCEP will purchase a percentage of renewable energy and associated renewable energy credits from the newly built Wellington North Solar Farm, owned by Lightsource bp, located in the Orana region of NSW. The site spans over approximately 970ha, utilising more than 1.2 million solar panels and has the capacity to generate 925,000-megawatt hours of renewable electricity per year.