Corporate Responsibility

Chemicals industry looking to source more renewable energy

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the RE-Source Platform.

The RE-Source Platform, founded by SolarPower Europe, WindEurope, The Climate Group and CDP (RE100) and WBCSD, is a European alliance of stakeholders representing clean energy buyers and suppliers for corporate renewable energy sourcing. The platform pools resources and coordinates activities to promote a better policy framework for corporate renewable energy sourcing, at EU and national level, whilst raising awareness and facilitating business opportunities.

Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General said: “Industry will need massive amounts of renewable energy in the future. Corporate sourcing of renewable electricity can offer an attractive solution for chemical companies to secure clean and affordable energy with a longer time horizon. We look forward to working with the RE-Source platform to ensure the European chemical industry does not miss this key opportunity.”

Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO said: “Corporate renewable PPAs all started with the ICT sector sourcing renewables for their data centres. Now energy-intensive manufacturing sectors such as chemicals are signing them too. The RE-Source Platform aims to help spread the PPA model throughout Europe so that more industrial consumers can benefit from it. Having Cefic onboard will pave the way for more PPA deals in the chemicals sector, providing them with the clean, reliable and cheap power that renewables provide”.

James Watson, CEO of SolarPower Europe said “The signing of this MoU proves the awareness that is growing in energy intensive industries of the benefits of utilising renewables to meet their electricity demands. Cefic are an early mover and we are very pleased to see the European chemical industry support this important initiative to promote renewable energy through onsite generation and power purchasing agreements. We hope that more sectors will seize this opportunity and take the initiative to join the RE-Source platform and drive the uptake of renewable energy”.