Eneco has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with chemicals company Borealis, as the offtaker for the 235MW Mermaid offshore wind farm off Belgium.
The exclusive agreement will enable Borealis to purchase over 1000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of wind power, with delivery to begin in January 2021.
The PPA will support Borealis in its stated aim of sourcing at least 50% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources for its polyolefins and hydrocarbon and energy business areas by 2030.
The renewable electricity generated within the framework of this agreement will reduce Borealis’ indirect carbon dioxide emissions (defined as Scope 2 emissions by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) at its Belgian operations by approximately 20,000 tonnes a year.
Mermaid, comprising 28 Siemens turbines, will be fully operational at the end of this year.
The Borealis agreement is the third corporate PPA Eneco has closed in Belgium.
Borealis executive vice president base chemicals and operations Martijn van Koten said: “Thanks to this agreement with Eneco, Borealis is moving closer to achieving the ambitious energy and climate targets we have set forth in our strategic sustainability framework.
“The Eneco PPA is the most recent example of how we are doing our part to bring about a carbon-neutral future while at the same time remaining competitive in the global marketplace. This is how we re-invent for more sustainable living.”
Eneco Belgium CEO Jacques Delmee added: “At Eneco, we focus not only on making our own business operations sustainable, but in helping other companies make theirs more sustainable as well.
“By joining up in agreements such as this one, we can accelerate the energy transition. We are pleased and proud to be supporting Borealis in their switch to a sustainable, smart and clean energy supply in Belgium.”