ALDI Australia’s transition to 100% renewable electricity has been independently verified by the federal government’s Clean Energy Regulator following the release of its 2023 Corporate Emissions Reduction Transparency (CERT) Report.
ALDI is one of 25 large Australian companies participating in this year’s report, which is the second to be published by the Clean Energy Regulator.
“Sustainability is placed firmly at the core of ALDI’s values and operations. That’s why we have an ongoing commitment to making a good difference for our planet,” says ALDI Australia Sustainability Director Daniel Baker.
“Given our focus and passion for our climate and energy commitments, ALDI is thrilled to have contributed to the CERT Report, making it easier for our customers to find verified data on our climate commitments and progress.
“We’re proud the report has recognised these efforts as ALDI continues to lead the way as one of only a handful of companies featured in the report to have fully transitioned its operations to 100 per cent renewable electricity sources.”
In 2021, ALDI Australia achieved its commitment to power its operations with 100% renewable electricity, six months ahead of schedule. ALDI was the first and currently is the only supermarket in Australia to power all offices, stores, and warehouses using only renewable electricity sources, with its competitors aiming to achieve the same result by 2025.
At the centre of ALDI’s transition to 100% renewable electricity are the power purchase agreements it holds with three Australian wind farms. The benefits of these agreements, according to the retailer, have been two-fold for ALDI, supporting its sustainability targets and helping to bring down operational costs over the long-term.
Further efforts ahead
ALDI says it’s continuing to look at ways to further cut back on its energy usage.
For example, wall chillers in selected stores will be retrofitted with fridge doors to keep products chilled more efficiently. Following the success of fitting five initial stores in NSW with chiller doors, ALDI is now rolling out the new chiller doors in an additional 15 stores across Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Refrigeration across ALDI stores is said to account for 20% of the retailer’s total electricity usage. Early results suggest the new chiller doors could lead to a reduction in refrigeration energy usage of approximately 30%.
ALDI is also continuing to expand its network of solar panels across 25 additional freestanding stores over the next 18 months. The expansion is expected to have the ability to provide an additional 34-megawatt peak of power.
ALDI currently has more than 105,000 panels fitted across 270 stores and six of its distribution centres. In 2022, the retailer claims that its solar panels generated more than 40,813 megawatt hours of renewable electricity, enough to power over 7800 Australian homes.
“As one of Australia’s largest grocery retailers our responsibility to reduce our impact remains front of mind,” says Mr Baker.
“The steps we’re taking in utilising renewable electricity epitomises ALDI’s ongoing commitment to Making a Good Difference. Not only are we reducing our impact on the planet, [but] we’re also bringing down our operational costs so we can continue passing these savings onto our customers. It makes great business sense and ensures we’re continuing to deliver the highest quality groceries at the lowest prices.”
