Danone has launched a new energy programme, Re-Fuel Danone, that aims to ‘transform’ the energy footprint of its global manufacturing sites. This offers the potential to make the Alpro-to-Activia manufacturer’s operations more agile, cost efficient, resilient...
Europe’s largest dairy group has signed a long-term agreement with Eurowind Energy to deliver renewable electricity to all of the co-op's Danish farms and production hubs by 2025.
Mars Wrigley has unveiled plans for its ice cream plant in Steinbourg, France to become the first 100% electrically powered industrial site in the Mars Group.
Global solar developer Lightsource bp has finished the construction of a 5MW solar project at the Davidstow creamery, which is home to Saputo-owned Cathedral City cheese.
Ice cream and dairy production and distribution group Food Union has announced investments in renewable energy to power ice cream and dairy operations in the Baltics and Norway.
Fonterra’s Te Awamutu site in New Zealand is taking the next step in its transition away from coal with commissioning under way on its wood pellet renewable energy source.
Investment company Fortistar and Paloma Dairy have announced the beginning of construction on a dairy digester renewable natural gas (RNG) facility, the Sunoma Renewable Biofuel Project.
Enel Green Power is constructing a new 500 megawatt (MW) plant worth $720m in Texas. Danone North America signed a power purchase agreement with the wind farm for a 12 year deal.
Renewable energy use in agriculture is the best way to a sustainable future for most farmers, according to Organic Valley, and solar power popularity can grow further thanks to proposed energy tax credits in the US.
Food giant General Mills is making a commitment to sustainability and clean power by covering the electricity at its US facilities with renewable wind energy. It has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Roaring Fork Wind, LLC.
UK green technology company Food Forward Ltd, supported by researchers at the University of Surrey, has been awarded £60,000 ($79,000) of funding from Innovate UK to build out its data platform for the UK dairy industry.
SIG Combibloc has launched its first Corporate Responsibility (CR) report, which includes recycling blocks of pre-melted PE in China, its 2030 goals, focusing on an aseptic carton made from 100% renewable materials by 2020 and its combibloc EcoPlus pack.
The mayor of the Norwegian coastal municipality of Fræna, Tove Heno, used an axe at the official opening of TINE’s Elnesvågen dairy, which runs with 100% renewable energy.
Elopak is the first major packaging company and the first Norwegian company to join the RE100 campaign, in partnership with The Climate Group, to engage, support and showcase influential companies committed to using 100% renewable power.
Despite rapid progress towards sustainability goals, cuts to renewable energy subsidy schemes and multiple carbon taxes could slow the dairy industry down in terms of going “above and beyond” existing 2020 targets, according to Dairy UK.
As part of our special edition newsletter examining supply chain sustainability, FoodProductionDaily.com spoke to Jan Dalsgaard Johannesen, corporate environmental director at Arla Foods, about specific challenges facing the dairy sector.
Special edition: alternatives to carbon heavy processes
A group of distillers in Rothes, Scotland, began building a power plant this week that turns whisky by-products into energy and could cut total carbon emissions from the Scotch whisky industry by 6 per cent.
Unilever is to create “green energy” at its Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory in Holland by installing a bio-digester which converts natural waste products into gas.
The European Commission has funded a project that provides information to dairy farmers on achieving energy efficiency – which could ultimately also bring down costs for dairy product manufacturers.
While no one sector should bare the brunt of European initiatives to drive sustainable energy, the Commission suggests that the dairy industry could be one area to benefit in the medium and long term from green initiatives.
The promotion of renewable energy is adding significantly to
processing costs, according to an industry body that represents
major energy consumers such as food packagers and chemical
processors.
Grants have been made available in the US to enable small
businesses to invest in renewable energy systems. Food producers
could be in line to benefit most - the industry accounts for 10 per
cent of electrical load in many areas.
