Iconic Australian snack food maker Arnott’s has switched on a major solar and battery storage system that will help slash the carbon footprint of its iconic biscuit range, including the much beloved Tim Tam.
Arnotts on Monday officially unveiled the large-scale solar and battery storage system at its Huntingwood biscuit factory in New South Wales, which produces more than half of its total volume of biscuits, including other Australian favourites like Shapes and Jatz.
The 44,000-square-metre facility is now topped with a behind-the-meter rooftop solar installation consisting of 9,000 solar panels that are expected to generate between 6 and 7 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity each year.
Complementing the solar array is an 4.95 MW/ 11 megawatt-hour (MWh) DC battery system which is designed to further reduce the facility’s reliance on the electricity grid, mitigate peak energy charges, and ultimately deliver lower overall costs for the company.
The two systems, which were developed in partnership with Australian-owned energy company CleanPeak Energy, will supply around 25 per cent of the site’s electricity needs, with the rest being sourced from a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
A share of the facility’s electricity needs will increasingly be sourced from CleanPeak’s NSW solar farm portfolio. Arnott’s goal – as reported last year – is to run the Huntingwood factory on 100 per cent renewables by 2029.
“This integrated solar and battery initiative marks a major milestone in our partnership with CleanPeak Energy to transform our energy usage,” said Tom Vicars, chief procurement officer at The Arnott’s Group.
“By generating nearly one-quarter of our energy needs onsite and progressively sourcing the remainder from CleanPeak’s solar farms, we’re making meaningful progress toward our goal of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2029, for the largest site in our network.”
The $12 million project was funded through was funded through the CleanPeak Energy Renewable Investment Trust (CPERI), a joint venture between CleanPeak Energy (CPE) and Igneo Infrastructure Partners, which was seeded with an equity commitment from Igneo & supplemented by fully committed debt facilities led by ANZ, CBA & OCBC.
CleanPeak led the design and delivery of the solar and battery project, with solar and battery components being supplied by Longi and Sungrow respectively.
“We are delighted to have delivered for Arnott’s one of the largest C&I Solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems in the country,” said Philip Graham, CEO of CleanPeak Energy.
“This installation is proof of what is possible in building renewables where they are directly used in the manufacturing process and should be a blueprint for industrial players serious about implementing 100 per cent renewable electricity solutions to lower cost.”
Federal minister for climate change and energy Chris Bowen was on hand to unveil a plaque commemorating the project’s completion.
