Mars moves to 100% renewable energy for UK operations

In its latest move to make its global operations fully carbon-neutral by 2040, Mars is to install a 20-turbine wind farm in Scotland to power the confectionery brand’s 12 UK sites.

As part of a partnership with energy company Eneco UK, the 60-megawatt wind farm in Moy will enable all Mars UK factories and offices to produce products using renewable electricity. It will have an annual consumption of over 125,000 megawatt-hours.

The power generated is equal to that used by 34,000 average UK households, or to make enough Maltesers to fill 166 Olympic-size swimming pools each year. It is also the same as making 4.2 billion Mars bars or over 80bn pellets of Wrigley’s Extra gum.

The move is part of efforts to eliminate fossil fuel energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHS) from Mars’ global operations by 2040. It follows the launch of a large-scale wind farm in Lamesa, Texas, in 2014, which now generates the equivalent of 100% of the electricity required to power the company’s US operations.

Last year, Mars achieved its global goal to reduce GHG emissions from operations by 25% from a 2007 baseline.

“The Moy Wind Farm is part of our innovative and long-term approach to achieving our goal to be a successful and sustainable business for generations to come,” says Barry Parkin, chief sustainability and health & wellbeing officer at Mars.

“We’re not there yet, but we recognise all businesses have a responsibility to tackle climate change and we hope our partnership with Eneco at Moy will encourage other companies to take steps to reduce their own carbon footprint through renewable energy. Working together, government and industry can move the needle on climate change.”