Damm joins the global RE100 initiative as a sign of its commitment to renewable energy
It is the first brewery in Spain to join this initiative, bringing together companies that have shown their commitment to the use of renewable 100% energy
Damm joins RE100, the global initiative that brings together the most important companies in the world that have shown their commitment to the use of renewable energies 100%. In doing so, it reaffirms its commitment to sustainability by being the first brewery in Spain to join this initiative. This milestone is part of its commitment to promote the achievement of the SDG 7, whose ultimate goal is to increase the amount of energy from renewable sources, as well as to promote energy efficiency technologies.
Sustainability has always been one of the cornerstones of Damm's activities. Therefore, aware of the need to optimise energy consumption in production, it created the Energy Optimisation Department in 2008. Since then, the department's efforts have focused on reducing the consumption of natural resources, revaluing by-products and generating renewable energy from renewable sources. The company already produces 60% of the electricity it needs and only uses certified green energy sources.
"At Damm we work daily to ensure that every time someone consumes one of our products, the planet doesn't notice. We are committed to investing in efficient generation sources based on renewable energies such as cogeneration, trigeneration from biogas or photovoltaic solar energy. This has allowed us to become the Spanish brewery with the greatest autonomy in generating the electricity it consumes," said Juan Antonio López Abadia, Damm's director of energy and environmental optimisation.
One of the projects that Damm has carried out as part of its commitment to energy optimisation has been the installation of photovoltaic panels at its production and packaging plants. Since 2008 it has invested €12.7 million in expanding the company's photovoltaic energy production capacity by creating a photovoltaic park covering an area of 26,000 m2 able to produce 7.1 MWh per year.
This commitment to boosting new renewable energy sources joins the efforts of hundreds of companies that are already part of the global RE100 network. Led by Climate Group and a CDP partner, RE100 has a mission to promote a shift towards decarbonisation among the world's most influential companies. "Damm's commitment to 100% renewable electricity for 2021 years demonstrates its leadership in the energy transition. All RE100 members represent a powerful force for positive change and we encourage all large companies to join us," said Sam Kimmins, Director of RE100 at Climate Group.
Cogeneration and trigeneration: Damm's other commitments to green energy
Damm is working to promote and include other renewable energy sources in its production processes as a sign of its commitment to achieving the goals of the 2030 agenda. The company has cogeneration plants (using biogas) installed in some of its factories, which produce electricity and steam or hot water simultaneously for self-consumption in the product manufacturing process. Damm has also incorporated trigeneration, a process that extends cogeneration to include cooling. The company has also installed wastewater treatment plants in its factories that not only minimise electricity consumption but also generate clean energy in the form of biogas.
All these measures, aligned with its environmental commitments, have enabled the company to reduce the amount of energy used by 45% when producing each hectolitre of beer over the last ten years, thus reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and the fight against climate change.
