Feb 12 2013
SC Johnson announced today its participation in the Comision Federal de Electricidad's (CFE/Federal Electricity Commission) wind farm program; a power purchase agreement which will enable SC Johnson to increase its use of renewable energy at its Toluca, Mexico facility to an estimated 86 percent, up by 65 percent, and to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions for the same facility by 57 percent. This represents the next step in the company's commitment to increasing its usage of renewable energy.
"SC Johnson is committed to reducing its environmental footprint, and using fewer resources through the increased use of renewable energy is an important part of the equation," said Fisk Johnson, SC Johnson Chairman and CEO. "Using wind power at our Toluca manufacturing facility is another step in our journey. We're thrilled to be able to bring families, in Mexico and beyond, products like Glade® and Pledge® that have been made using fewer resources."
The turbines are in Oaxaca and were constructed by ENEL, a multinational leader in power and gas, in partnership with the Comision Federal de Electricidad, who provides the infrastructure for energy transport. SC Johnson will begin using the purchased wind power mid-2013. Participation in the program, and the purchase agreement, demonstrate the company's commitment to increasing its use of renewable energy to 44 percent of total electricity use worldwide by 2016.
Reducing Resource Use
Sustainability has been a focus for SC Johnson for decades. Other initiatives which demonstrate the company's dedication to renewable energy resources include:
- Two 415-foot wind turbines at the company's largest global manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant, Wis., which will produce about 8 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually. Combined with the two cogeneration turbines at the facility that have been in place since the mid-2000s, this facility is now able to produce an average of 100 percent of its electrical energy onsite.
- In Indonesia, the company uses waste palm shells as a fuel source to heat water for mosquito coil production at its manufacturing facility in Medan. By transferring a waste product back into the value chain, the company has cut GHG emissions at this facility by more than 15 percent. And in Surabaya, a biofuel initiative uses waste husks from rice grains as a fuel source, rather than diesel fuel. This initiative is expected to generate 6 million kcal per hour to heat water used in mosquito coil production, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,090 metric tons per year.
- In Shanghai China, several solar projects help provide hot water heating. One provides hot water for food service and other office needs. And solar-heated waste water from the facility's steam piping network aids aerosol production. The quality control lab uses solar-heated water as well.