Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I), the proud producer of Lucozade and Ribena, has submitted plans to invest £6 million into its factory in Coleford to significantly reduce its reliance on natural gas, and in turn, reduce its carbon emissions.
SBF GB&I aims to become completely independent of its current gas turbine through a new electricity connection.
The new energy model is set to be up and running in 2026 and will see the current 11 Kilovolt (kv) connection that feeds the factory upgraded with a 33kv connection, increasing the factory’s access to electricity purchased from renewable sources.
The 33kv connection will also deliver efficiencies throughout the factory by reducing external outages and power cuts. The new, more robust, supply, puts an end to quarterly maintenance outages that the Combined Heat and Power unit currently requires.
The investment will significantly reduce the company’s Scope 1 emissions by an estimated 58%, putting it four years ahead of its 2030 target to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%. This will then allow greater capacity to focus on even more emissions reduction projects including exploring the electrification of its steam systems, greater energy efficiency improvements, new heat pump solutions and solar panels.
Karl Ottomar, Supply Chain Director, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said, “This £6 million investment represents a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint. Not only will it put us on track to achieve greater emissions reductions quicker, but it allows us to focus on even more sustainability projects and the future integration of renewable energy.”
In 2019 SBF GB&I set near-term emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The company has committed to a 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 and is working to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner across its whole value chain.
This project will be backed by a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out by local authorities, with the aim to minimise any impact to the local environment or community.
Planning application has now been submitted and once approved, SBF GB&I hopes the new model will be up and running in 2026.
