Almac Group announced a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with renewable energy provider, NTR plc. to source electricity generated by the newly constructed Murley wind farm, located in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The agreement will reduce scope 2 carbon emissions by 46% across Almac’s operations globally and by over 95% at Almac’s Global HQ in Craigavon, as almost all of the site’s electricity will ultimately be generated by the windfarm.

Almac’s Craigavon site has undergone significant expansion in recent years with Almac announcing hundreds of £millions of investment in 2022. The campus currently employs over 4,000 of Almac’s 7,000 global workforce supporting pharma and biotech companies in their drug development process.

Almac’s share of the wind project will deliver 34GWh of renewable electricity annually. Murley is a 21.6MW windfarm with six wind turbines currently in late-stage construction and is expected to be operational by July 2024.

This reduction in Almac’s carbon footprint represents a significant step in the Group’s progress towards its carbon reduction goals. Signing this agreement follows a number of recent steps taken by the Group to support their 2045 net zero target. These include joining the Science Based targets Initiative (SBTi) which defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting.

“We are delighted to partner with NTR on this exciting project which will allow us to power the operations at our Craigavon site with fully certified renewable energy,” said Niall Harkin, Executive Director, Almac Group. “Almac’s participation in this project is a crucial step on our journey to net zero and will significantly reduce carbon emissions from the electricity we consume.”

“As a global leader in providing a range of expert services and support across the drug development lifecycle, it is crucial that we demonstrate our commitment to the long-term sustainability goals of the sector. I am hugely encouraged by the progress that we are making on our climate journey and proud to mark this significant milestone we announce today.”