Sealed Air installs solar farm at its California facility to drive sustainability
US – US packaging company, Sealed Air (SEE) has installed a 3.5-MW ground-mount solar array at its manufacturing facility in Madera, California in partnership with TotalEnergies.
The company has invested US$9 million in the solar farm, which is coupled with a 770-kW/3,080 kWh battery.
The solar panels, which sit on 11 acres of company-owned land adjacent to the facility, are expected to help reduce energy spend at this site by US$1 million annually.
The 265,000 square foot facility manufactures BUBBLE WRAP brand original cushioning, Sealed Air brand Korrvu retention and suspension packaging, mailers, and other solutions.
Emile Chammas, SEE's Chief Operating Officer said: "The installation of these solar panels contributes to SEE's overarching sustainability strategy and advances our transition to net-zero carbon emissions in our operations by 2040.
"Through these solar panels, we are advancing our use of renewable energy, lessening the energy intensity of operations and reducing the company's greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are on a journey to leave our world better than we find it and the completion of this project is an important milestone in the strategic investments we're making to achieve that goal."
The American packaging giant partnered TotalEnergies (which recently acquired SunPower Commercial and Industrial Solutions) to design and install the solar project.
"TotalEnergies is proud to be SEE's energy transformation partner as they invest to achieve ambitious sustainability targets," said Eric Potts, Vice president of TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA.
"Renewable energy is a business priority for both of our companies, so we are thrilled that this project will deliver long-term benefits to SEE's Madera facility while advancing global progress toward carbon neutrality."
Over the course of the first year, the solar project will help the facility avoid 4,982 metric tons of carbon dioxide and 72,172 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 15 years.
The shift to renewable energy sources in its production aligns with the company's target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
The company has committed to ambitious actions to meet the scientifically established threshold necessary to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
"Sealed Air is leading our industry in the race to zero emissions. This is not only the right thing to do, it is our purpose—to make the world better than we found it," remarked Ted Doheny, President and CEO of Sealed Air.
"Our talented people are working hard to create sustainable solutions and innovate to eliminate resource waste. We will also continue to invest in technology and collaborate with our partners and suppliers to beat this goal."
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