The renewables arm of BayWa has has signed a 10-year PPA with Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, with power supplied from a new solar project in central Spain.
The agreement will enable BayWa r.e. to build a new solar park which will generate 62GWh of energy per year to power Nestlé’s operations in Spain and Portugal.
Nestlé’s head of sustainability in Spain and Portugal Arnau Pi said: “With BayWa r.e. as a trusted partner, the signing of this PPA is another significant milestone on our path towards net zero emissions.
“The fight against climate change cannot wait and this agreement is a step towards achieving this goal.
“We hope that actions like these will not only have a significant impact on the planet but also inspire change.”
Located near Ciudad Real in Castile-La-Mancha, Spain, the 50MW Picón solar park is expected to be commissioned in Q1 2023.
The energy that will be produced from the new solar plant, is equivalent to an annual saving of over 70,000 tonnes of CO2, and enough electricity to power 25,000 households, BayWa r.e. said.
BayWa r.e. head of PPA for Iberia, Germany and France Patrick Schmidt-Bräkling said: “Advancing the corporate energy transition is a vital part of meeting global climate targets.
“We are excited to be making this impressive 50MW solar park a reality while also making an important contribution to the region’s own energy transition.”
BayWa r.e. global director of energy solutions Andrea Grotzke added: “As more and more businesses from a variety of sectors look to source renewable energy to meet sustainability goals, it’s important that they identify the best combination of measures to meet their unique requirements.
“We are pleased to be supporting Nestlé as the company ramps up its consumption of green energy through the adoption of a solar PPA.”
BayWa r.e. has consulted closely with local stakeholders throughout the development of the Picón solar project, which commenced in 2017, and local landowners are fully supportive of the journey to operation, it said.
Both parties are committed to protecting and fostering biodiversity during the remainder of construction of the project and throughout its operation.