Wind farm to help power Nestlé in UK and Ireland

A new wind farm in Scotland is to power 50% of Nestlé’s operations in the UK and Ireland when it is completed in 2017.

As part of a 15-year partnership with Community Windpower, a nine turbine wind farm will open in Dumfries and Galloway in the first half of 2017. It will produce around 125GWh of power per annum, enough to supply the annual demands of 30,000 homes.

The food giant aims to achieve 100% renewable electrical energy globally in the shortest practical timescale through RE100, a global initiative to engage, support and showcase companies committed to using 100% renewable power. Its grid-supplied electricity in the UK and Ireland already comes from renewable sources.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, chairman and CEO of Nestlé UK & Ireland, said the move “takes things a huge step further”.

She added, “This is a newly commissioned wind farm, generating new energy, creating capacity that didn’t previously exist and capable of providing half of our electricity needs. It’s a proud moment for us and means we have reached another key milestone in our efforts to become a sustainable business.”

Meanwhile, RE100 campaign director Emily Farnworth noted, “Nestlé recognises that climate change impacts pose a risk to the business, and sees renewable energy as part of the solution. Today’s announcement takes the company a step closer to its goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity across its global operations, and reinforces the strong market signal – sent through RE100 – that business demand for renewables is rising.”

The brand is also working to reduce its UK carbon footprint by 40% by 2020, a target it believes will be reached or exceeded ahead of schedule.

Last month, Mars announced plans to install a 20-turbine wind farm in Scotland to power the its 12 UK sites, as it moves to make its global operations fully carbon-neutral by 2040.