Kellogg ramps up efforts to achieve 100% renewable energy target

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Enel is constructing a wind farm in Texas that will house one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world. Pic: GettyImages/AlbertPego

Kellogg Company has taken another step towards its objective to transition to 100% renewable electricity across all its manufacturing sites around the world by 2050.

The breakfast cereal giant has signed a long-term wind energy virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) in North America with Enel Green Power for approximately 360 gigawatt hours (GWh) of wind electricity annually, which is equal to 50% of the volume of electricity used across Kellogg’s North American manufacturing facilities. It’s also the amount of electricity it takes to power more than 43,000 homes each year.

With the support of Kellogg’s VVPA, Enel has started construction of a wind farm in north central Texas – its first wind + storage project – which combines a 350 MW wind facility paired with approximately 120 MW of battery storage, one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world.

The Azure Sky wind farm will add clean energy resources to the community’s local grid and is expected to be operational in 2022.

Kellogg’s portion of renewable electricity generated by the wind farm is estimated to eliminate 250,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year, equivalent to the carbon reduction of removing approximately 55,000 passenger vehicles off of the road annually.

The move is part of the company’s Better Days commitment to reduce Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 65% and to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2050. Kellogg measures greenhouse gas emissions and renewable electricity in accordance with the GHG Protocol.

“Kellogg has been working to reduce its carbon footprint across our value chain for more than a decade,” said Amy Senter, chief sustainability officer, Kellogg Company.

“Our latest VPPA further demonstrates to investors, stakeholders and our consumers that we are taking action to address climate change.”

Kellogg has several renewable energy projects already in place around the world.

  • Kellogg’s facilities across Western Europe have achieved 100% renewable electricity to address its operations through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
  • Kellogg Australia operations have also achieved 100% renewable electricity through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement.
  • Kellogg’s LEED-certified Pringles plant in Enstek, Malaysia, and its cereal plant in Taloja, India, utilise renewable electricity directly from on-site solar panels.
  • In North America, Kellogg has purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for multiple facilities and offices in several states.
  • The company’s Kashi office in Solana Beach, California, utilises on-site solar panels for portions of its electricity use.

S&P Global recently ranked Kellogg’s sustainability performance within the top 15% of the food industry, making Kellogg among the highest performing sustainable companies in the world.