Whether or not you want espresso or tea, the morning cuppa with a biscuit of alternative is a part of Australia’s tradition. Maybe simply as intrinsic as beer*. Or possibly not. Anyway, the principle producer of biscuits in Australia, Arnott’s, has made a significant transfer in direction of inexperienced vitality. That’s proper, Arnott’s goes to be making inexperienced biscuits — 40 million kilograms a yr of inexperienced biscuits. It will likely be like including one other 15,000 Teslas to Queensland roads.
Arnott’s group operates a 40,000 sq. meter manufacturing facility in Virginia, Queensland. Simply down the street, I drive previous it on the way in which into town of Brisbane. The manufacturing facility runs eight product traces and three packaging traces, and employs greater than 600 folks. It was simple to come out and get an image of the corporate that brings a lot consolation to folks’s lives.
No inexperienced biscuits for our Tesla on a Sunday. Picture courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
After all, the politicians needed to become involved. Wherever there’s a child to be kissed, a bridge to be opened, or on this case a free drink and a bikkie:
“Arnott’s biscuits have been a part of the material of Australian society for over 150 years, and an iconic Queensland producer for the previous 75 years,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stated. “As we transition in direction of a clear vitality future below our Queensland Vitality and Jobs Plan, we all know an increasing number of companies are desirous to decarbonise their operations and supply shoppers merchandise made with decrease emissions.”
The Queensland authorities is planning for 80% of the state’s electrical energy demand to be met from inexperienced sources by 2035 utilizing a mix of hydropower, wind, and photo voltaic farms. Photo voltaic is properly superior, wind is beginning to take off, and there are plans to make use of batteries and pumped hydro to retailer the surplus. In the midst of the day, Queensland is already producing half of its energy wants from photo voltaic. By 2040, the state is anticipated to have 10 occasions extra renewable vitality out there.
“This eight-year deal for over 68GWh of renewable vitality means Arnott’s are avoiding over 44,500 tonnes of CO2-e, the equal of taking 15,000 automobiles off the street,” the Queensland authorities states.
“This deal, which can imply Arnott’s will probably be 100% renewable by 2029, will assist safe their enterprise, and the roles of their employees, as we transfer in direction of a web zero financial system.”
In addition to energy coming from Stanwell’s intensive portfolio of utility-sized photo voltaic farms, Arnott’s can also be protecting its manufacturing facility rooftops with photo voltaic panels — 1.3 MW of panels in Brisbane. Sydney-based CleanPeak will set up methods at Virginia and likewise on the firm’s manufacturing facility in Sydney. This will probably be a complete of over 10,000 photo voltaic panels throughout each websites.
“The Arnott’s Group Chief Government Officer, George Zoghbi, stated the renewable electrical energy settlement is the most recent in a sequence of daring renewable initiatives throughout its Australian websites, that can permit it to speed up its progress towards its web zero commitments forward of goal.”
“We’ve been manufacturing biscuits in Queensland since 1949 and at our Virginia website for greater than 30 years. This thrilling partnership will allow us to transition the way in which we supply electrical energy for our Virginia website and considerably cut back our environmental influence,” he stated.
Cameron Dick, Queensland’s Treasurer and Minister for Commerce stated that “Arnott’s had a primary mover benefit in a market the place shoppers are demanding decrease emissions merchandise.”
“We all know that buyers are demanding motion on local weather, together with on retail choices, so now Arnott’s merchandise usually are not solely made for locals, by locals, however are the biscuit of alternative for the emissions and local weather acutely aware,” Vitality, Renewables and Hydrogen Minister Mick de Brenni stated.
Stanwell, historically a significant provider of coal-fired vitality era, is shifting quickly to renewables with a various era portfolio. They’ve even put in EV chargers in rural cities that host their operations — like Kingaroy. Their pipeline of initiatives totals 2.1 GW.
“This intensive pipeline of renewable vitality initiatives signifies that we are able to broaden our renewable choices for purchasers as Stanwell turns into a diversified and renewable vitality supplier,” Stanwell tells us.
Stanwell will provide over 68 GWh of renewable vitality to Arnott’s, avoiding over 44,500 tonnes of CO2. That is equal to swapping 15,000 fossil fuelled automobiles for battery electrical automobiles or planting 2,920 hectares of forest.
Arnott’s Group has manufacturing websites in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia in addition to New Zealand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, using about 3,500 folks. I’m wanting ahead to additional information as photo voltaic is rolled out at these websites and an increasing number of biscuits go inexperienced.
My favorite — Tim Tams. You’ll be able to suck your espresso via them. Picture courtesy of Ken Evans.
So, no matter your favorite: Tim Tams, Monte Carlo, Scotch Finger, or Kingstons, you’ll be able to take pleasure in a biscuit along with your morning espresso (or within the night with an excellent whiskey) with the satisfaction of realizing it was made with inexperienced vitality. Saving the planet one Tim Tam at a time. Now, to work on all that plastic packaging….
Observe that we even have inexperienced beer.
