Multinational dairy company Arla Foods has opened a new solar power plant in Tychowo, Poland, which will produce 1,620MW/h of energy per year, which will be used to power its repackaging plant in the region.
Comprised of 2,596 solar panels, the power plant was officially opened at an event on-site yesterday (Tuesday, March 14).
In a statement afterwards, Arla Foods said that it believes the solar plant will be able to power 85% of the repackaging facility’s total energy consumption.
It also has the capacity to store a further 2.6MW/h of energy in a battery, which will partly power the facility during the night.
The plant marks the culmination of a €2.9 million investment, which will pay itself back within about seven years as running costs will be lowered by approximately 75%, according to the company.
According to Arla, power cuts have been a common problem at the site, leading to a number of challenges for the 98 employees working there and for “business continuity” in general.
“This is a sensible investment on all levels,” said David Boulanger, executive vice-president and head of supply chain with Arla Foods.
“Not only does it make securing business continuity easier for our employees, it also reduces run-rate costs at the site and creates a more sustainable energy source showing the way for future energy investments in the region.”
With this plant, the company estimates that it will be able to reduce carbon emissions by about 1,645t/yr, a significant figure in a country which is still heavily reliant on coal for energy production.
“At Arla Foods, we want to lead in sustainable dairy. That means that if there isn’t a sustainable solution in place, we will go the extra mile and create our own.
“That is exactly what we have done in Tychowo. Even if it’s not one of our biggest sites in terms of energy consumption, it shows we put action behind our words when it comes to improving our operations,” Boulanger added.
The development is the latest in a series of renewable energy moves by the global dairy giant of late. It previously entered a partnership with a Danish company to install a 2,500MW/h/yr solar power plant in Bahrain.
According to Boulanger, Arla is planning to achieve 100% renewable electricity in Europe by the end of 2025 and reach an emissions reduction of 63% in its production compared to 2015, by 2030.
