European Companies Add Green Power to Agendas
By GreenBiz Staff
Created 2007-09-17 23:00
LAUSANNE, United States — Using renewable energy to power manufacturing plants is catching on at European companies, according to a coalition of businesses working to build commercial and industrial green power markets.
The Green Power Market Development Group - Europe (GPMDG-EU) said last week that the first 100 megawatts (MW) of green power projects at 50 corporate facilities in 16 European countries have been completed. The coalition wants to demonstrate the viability of corporate renewable energy use.
The projects represent various renewable energy technologies. They include 46 MW of utility-supplied green power buys, 40 MW of on-site biomass thermal energy, 9 MW of on-site wind power, 2 MW of on-site solar thermal power, 2 MW of biomass power and 1 MW of renewable energy certificates and geothermal heat pumps.
Combined, the projects produce the equivalent of some 500 million kilowatt-hours per year.
"Working together, some of Europe's largest energy users are demonstrating the business case for renewable energy, setting an example that other companies can follow," said Jonathan Lash, president of World Resources Institute, which convened GPMDG-EU with another international organization, The Climate Group. "They are helping accelerate society's transition towards a diversified, sustainable and clean energy future."
The announcement was made at the 5th European Conference on Green Power marketing. Members of GPMDG-EU include BT, Dow, DuPont, General Motors, Holcim, IBM Europe, IKEA, InterfaceFLOR, Johnson & Johnson, Michelin, Nike , Staples, Tetra Pak and Unilever.
"To get this far has required lots of information sharing and inspiration," said John Harris, project manager of Ikea Goes Renewable. "The Green Power Market Development Group - Europe has provided a good forum for this. Now we have to make renewable energy our first choice and use fossil fuels as the last resort. More of our co-workers need information and inspiration if we are to achieve this."
