US – The US Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations has announced significant investments totalling over US$245 million to support clean energy projects at facilities operated by global food and beverage giants Diageo and Kraft Heinz.
Under the awarded funds, Diageo North America and Kraft Heinz will undertake ambitious initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and transitioning towards more sustainable operations.
For Diageo North America, the investment of up to US$75 million will facilitate the electrification of its production sites in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and Plainfield, Illinois. The goal is to achieve carbon neutrality at both facilities by 2026 and 2028, respectively.
This initiative includes partnering with Rondo Energy to implement innovative heat battery technology, resulting in a significant reduction of nearly 17,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
Marsha McIntosh-Hamilton, president of North America supply, Diageo North America, said: “Today’s announcement from the Department of Energy marks a milestone for our North American operations and gives us the opportunity to incorporate innovative technologies into our production footprint to make our business more efficient, resilient and sustainable.
Through our partnership with Rondo Energy, we’ll build a model that can be replicated across our supply operations in the US.”
Kraft-Heinz receives US$170M
Meanwhile, Kraft Heinz has also been selected for award negotiations to receive up to US$170 million from the US Department of Energy. This investment will support clean energy projects at ten of Kraft Heinz’s plants located across the United States.
The initiative, titled ‘Delicious Decarbonization Through Integrated Electrification and Energy Storage,’ aims to reduce carbon emissions by over 99%.
Marcos Eloi Lima, chief procurement and sustainability officer at Kraft Heinz, said: “At Kraft Heinz, we’re on a journey to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
This investment will give us critical resources to make necessary improvements in our plants to help increase their energy efficiency and reduce emissions. This investment recognises our continued efforts to reduce our environmental footprint, and we’re eager to get started.”
Through the programme, Kraft Heinz expects to upgrade, electrify and decarbonise its process heat at ten facilities by applying a range of technologies including heat pumps, electric heaters and electric boilers in combination with biogas boilers, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and thermal energy storage.
With the new technologies, Kraft Heinz expects to reduce annual emissions by more than 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Both Diageo and Kraft Heinz projects align with the US Department of Energy’s goal of spurring innovation and decarbonization across key industries.
By demonstrating the integration of advanced technologies and decarbonization pathways, these initiatives aim to serve as blueprints for other manufacturers seeking to reduce their environmental footprint.
The investments from the US Department of Energy underscore the government’s commitment to supporting clean energy initiatives and fostering sustainability in the food and beverage sector.
Additionally, these projects are expected to create hundreds of construction jobs across various locations, contributing to economic growth and promoting the transition towards a greener economy.
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