Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), a company of the Ardagh Group, has announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) for renewable energy with Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH and its parent company, ENERPARC AG. The PPA will secure the long-term supply of solar energy for AGP-Europe’s NextGen furnace in Obernkirchen. The switch from 90% gas and 10% electricity to 80% renewable energy and 20% gas for the melting furnace is a crucial step towards producing low-carbon glass packaging. The agreement also ensures the supply of solar energy to Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) facilities in Germany, making it the first contract to provide renewable energy to both AGP and AMP.
Jan Knievel, Head of Origination at Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH, stated that the PPA guarantees an annual volume of approximately 130 gigawatt hours and initially involves supplying solar power from existing ENERPARC facilities throughout Germany. He added that ENERPARC is already developing a solar park near Ardagh’s plant to meet part of its future energy needs.
CEO of AGP-Europe, Martin Petersson, commented that securing renewable energy for the NextGen furnace is key to decarbonizing glass production. The agreement with Sunnic brings AGP-Europe closer to its goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030. David Spratt, CEO of AMP-Europe, emphasized that signing the PPA demonstrates AMP’s commitment to Ardagh’s decarbonization strategy and its goal of reducing Scope-1 and Scope-2 CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030 compared to 2020.
The article also includes information about the carbon savings achieved by the NextGen furnace compared to a conventional AGP furnace. A life cycle analysis for 2023 shows that producing a typical 330ml glass bottle in the NextGen furnace will generate 43g of CO2, compared to 140.1g in a bottle produced in a conventional AGP furnace. Depending on the production mix, the NextGen furnace could save up to 45,000 tons of carbon per year.
The article provides brief overviews of Ardagh Glass Packaging and Sunnic Lighthouse, describing them as leading providers of sustainable and reusable glass packaging and specialists in renewable energy services, respectively. It also mentions ENERPARC, an international specialist in utility-scale solar power plants.
The new power purchase agreement between Ardagh Glass Packaging and Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH demonstrates a significant step towards sustainable glass production. By transitioning to renewable energy sources, AGP-Europe and Ardagh Metal Packaging facilities will reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the company’s decarbonization goals. This partnership showcases the growing importance of renewable energy solutions in the manufacturing sector and sets a positive example for other companies looking to embrace more sustainable practices.
Table:
| Company | Key Information |
|—————–|——————————————————————————————————–|
| Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe) | – Part of the Ardagh Group |
| | – PPA signed with Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH and ENERPARC AG |
| | – NextGen furnace in Obernkirchen to be powered by 80% renewable energy and 20% gas |
| | – Goal to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 |
| Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH | – Subsidiary of ENERPARC AG |
| | – Specializes in renewable energy services, with a focus on solar power |
| | – Provides individual services such as direct marketing, power supply, and Power Purchase Agreements |
| | – Portfolio includes approximately 3,600 MW of installed capacity from renewable sources |
| ENERPARC AG | – Develops, builds, operates, and invests in utility-scale solar power plants |
| | – Active in Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, India, and Australia |
| | – Goal to develop a total of 10 GW of PV plants by 2030 |
Quelle: Sunnic Lighthouse GmbH / ots