Belgium-based Bekaert, one of the world’s largest steel cord and wire manufacturers, has announced that it has inked a 12-year power purchase deal with Spain-based energy services provider Edison Next to install a 6.1 MW photovoltaic system at its plant in Sardinia.
As part of the deal, Edison Next will finance, develop and manage the installation of the system. Producing over 11.2 GWh of clean energy per year, the project will help Bekaert to cover more than 20 percent of the Sardinia plant’s energy requirements and to reduce its annual emissions by about 3,000 mt.
“It will accelerate our sustainability ambitions as well as make us less dependent on energy price inflation. Since opening the solar plant in Burgos, Spain last year, this marks a next milestone to achieve the goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 46.2 percent by 2030,” Michael Hamilton, vice president of commodities at Bekaert, stated.
The company aims to become carbon neutral by 2050.