Page 5 - Food & Drink Magazine July 2018

NEWS
Mars enters 20-year renewable energy agreement
MARS Australia has announced it will source 100 per cent of the electricity needed to power six factories from renewable energy sources.
To this end, the manufacturer of brands like M&Ms, MasterFoods, Extra sugarfree gum, and Pedigree dog food, has signed a 20-year power- purchase agreement (PPA) with Total Eren Group.
Under the PPA, Mars will source the equivalent of 100 per cent of its electricity generated from renewable energy by 2020 to match the electricity requirements of its six Australian factories in Asquith, Ballarat, Bathurst, Wacol, Wodonga and Wyong, and two sales offices in Melbourne and Sydney.
Burra Foods has also announced plans to movetorenewablesina10-yearPPAwith
Melbourne-based energy retailer Flow Power, and in March, CUB signed a 12-year PPA with German renewable energy developer, service provider, and wholesaler, BayWa r.e.
“The rise in electricity prices last year accelerated our plans to join Mars sites in the US, UK, and nine other countries in moving to renewable electricity,” Mars Australia general manager Barry O’Sullivan said.
“We acted quickly because the price volatility of energy in Australia made renewables the best option for our business, in addition to getting us closer to our commitment to eliminate greenhouse gasses from our operations by 2040.”
Total Eren will be developing and building the KiamalSolarFarmnearOuyen,Victoria. ✷
Primo leads way in rooftop solar
✷ TOP HITS
THE MOST VIEWED STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE LAST MONTH
PRIMO’S ROOFTOP SOLAR SYSTEM
Meat processor Primo Smallgoods is preparing to cover 75 per cent of its Brisbane facility rooftop with solar panels in what’s set to become one of Australia’s largest commercial solar energy systems.
✷ SEE FULL STORY THIS PAGE
COOL LABELS BURDEN SMALL PLAYERS
Some food manufacturers struggled to meet the demands of country of origin labelling laws in the lead-up to the 30 June deadline. KHQ Food & Beverage lawyer Amelia Edwards said the new compliance obligations are much more onerous than those that apply to imported foods, and small producers were feeling the burden.
✷ SEE FULL STORY ON P7
NUCANE OFFERS A FIELD OF OPPORTUNITY Sunshine Sugar is rolling out a healthier sugar that is natural, low-GI, and can be used in commercial recipes. The Australian innovation promises to help
tackle obesity and
open up new
opportunities
in processing.
$26M MOZZARELLA PLANT
Beston Global Food Company has commissioned a new $26.5 million mozzarella plant in South Australia that uses adjustable steam injection technology and is currently producing 500 tonnes per month.
✷ SEE FULL STORY ON P6
MEAL KIT MAKER ANNOUNCES IPO
Marley Spoon announced plans to raise $70 million through an initial public offer (IPO) on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company’s competitor, HelloFresh took a step towards vertical integration with the purchase of a meal kit delivery provider, Australian refrigerated courier company BeCool.
MEAT processor Primo Smallgoods is preparing to cover 75 per cent of its Brisbane facility rooftop with solar panels in what’s set to become one of Australia’s largest commercial solar energy systems.
The JBS-owned company says the 3.2MW rooftop array at its Wacol plant, which is being constructed in partnership with CleanPeak Energy and Todae Solar, will be Australia’s largest, with 9,700 panels taking up the size of more than six football fields.
Last year, Sydney Markets also unveiled a solar car park with almost 1MW of
capacity, followed by the addition of an $8.9 million 2.2MW array on the rooftops of the Markets, bringing its capacity to more than 3MW.
Electricity usage at Primo’s Wacol site sits at 38,000 MWh per annum, and the solar installation will reduce the electricity usage at Wacol by 19 per cent, and will generate 4,869 MWh of power in its first year.
It will also save 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years – the equivalent of powering 20,032 homes for one year, according to the company.
Primo said it implemented the 3.2 MW solar panel
system to maintain a sustainable business
into the future. The
system adds to other sustainable
practices already in place at the feedlots and processing facilities of its parent JBS, from
water consumption, biogas recovery, and greenhouse gas reduction through to waste recycling.
Primo Smallgoods chief operating officer Bruce Sabatta said global meat production is responsible for nearly 15 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, and it was time for Primo to promote the sustainability of natural resources.
“In light of our commitment to sustainable business practices, Primo is committed to decreasing the environmental impact of our activities, and the solar installation will reduce our electricity usage at Wacol by 19 percent,” Sabatta said.
“With our new solar panel installation in place, we will use the power generated from the solar panels instead of solely relying on power from the electricity grid.” ✷
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