Renewable energy is any source that replenishes naturally over a short period of time, unlike fossil fuels that take millions of years to form. Examples include solar power, methane from landfill, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy.
We explore the use of on-site renewable energy when building new operations, and will also increase renewable-energy installations at existing operations. While renewable energy can initially cost more than nonrenewable sources, it can deliver environmental and economic benefits over time.
We are conducting pilot projects at several operations to understand what works and where we might be able to expand these initiatives. Although these efforts are new, they have demonstrated some success.
Solar photovoltaic panels at Mars Chocolate's North American headquarters and M&M'S® manufacturing facility in Hackettstown, New Jersey, U.S., save over 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year — the equivalent of taking 190 vehicles off the road. The 28,000 ground-mounted solar panels provide up to two megawatts of solar power — about 20 percent of the operation's energy needs at peak output — reducing dependence on electricity from the power grid. The solar garden is located on an 18-acre site next to the facility and is the largest single solar photovoltaic installation at a food-production plant in the U.S.
Mars Chocolate in Waco, Texas, U.S., has replaced 60 percent of the natural gas used in its boilers by harvesting methane from a local landfill site and piping it to the plant. With enough supply to power the plant's boilers for the next 25 years, Mars is significantly reducing its GHG emissions and production costs. Burning the methane rather than allowing it to be released reduces the global-warming effect of this powerful greenhouse gas. The use of methane gas at the plant will save more than half a million dollars each year, based on typical natural gas prices, and will reduce the plant’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10,000 tonnes. That reduction is equivalent to removing 1,900 cars from the road, planting 2,300 acres of pine or fir forest, heating 2,700 homes or saving 24,000 barrels of oil.
Our sales and marketing operation in Dubai installed a solar hot water system that has cut CO2 emissions by more than 200 tonnes since 2007. The solar panels provide hot water and steam power, reducing the operation’s reliance on diesel fuel and saving emissions and costs.
Wrigley applied a similar approach at its factory in Guangzhou, China. By installing 400 square meters of rooftop solar panels to warm water for Associate showers and hand-washing stations, the operation has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 200 tonnes.
