NETHERLANDS – Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living has reaffirmed its commitment to sourcing 75% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030 and reaching 100% at the earliest possibility.
DSM has now signed two of its largest renewable energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Europe and USA, which the company said will reduce its carbon emissions by approximately 85,000 tons/year.
The company said that the PPAs will cover approximately one quarter of its current total annual electricity consumption.
In Europe, DSM has signed a PPA with EDPR, a global leader in the renewable energy sector and one of the world’s largest wind energy producers, to source renewable electricity from one wind farm and two solar power plants in Spain with a total capacity of 76 MW.
In the USA, the company has signed a power purchase agreement with Origis Energy, a global solar company, for a solar plant with a total capacity of 78 MW.
The long-term agreements enable the owners to secure financing for the construction of their new renewable energy parks and ensures additional renewable electricity capacity for the planet.
With these deals, DSM observes that it is well positioned to outpace its target of achieving 75% of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2030. In 2019, the company purchased 50% of its electricity from renewable resources.
DSM is also a member of the RE100 initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP. RE100 brings together the world’s most influential companies committed to 100% renewable power.
Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-CEO Royal DSM, commented: “Sustainability is not only DSM’s core value, it is also an important business driver that is fully engrained in our purpose, strategy, business and operations.
“With these two large renewable electricity deals we are significantly improving the environmental footprint of our operations and are well on track to achieve our ambitious 75% purchased renewable electricity target ahead of schedule.
“I am proud that we are proactively delivering on our contribution to the Paris Agreement and that we continue to lead the way in our industry to move to a low carbon future.”
In addition to achieving this major milestone, the company has powered 100% of its Netherlands operations with renewable electricity through agreements with windfarm Krammer, Bouwdokken and energy supplier Eneco since 2018.
DSM reveled that it realized 69% renewable purchased electricity in the USA in 2019. The wind power agreement with NextEra Energy Resources in Minco, Oklahoma contributed 39% in 2019.
The company has also opened solar parks in Belvidere, USA and Pune, India as well as one of Switzerland’s largest and most efficient biomass power plants in Sisseln.
DSM also prides as the first European company in its sector to have its greenhouse gasses (GHG) reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative in 2019.
The Dutch company was also one of the first companies to make the commitment to a long-term pathway toward net-zero GHG emissions across its operations and value chain by 2050.
Earlier this year, DSM further strengthened its commitment by joining the European Green Recovery alliance, a pan-European call for mobilization on post-COVID-19 crisis green investment packages.