confectionery company Mars Incorporated is to partner with Sumitomo Corporation on a new 200 MW wind farm near Lamesa, Texas.
The Mesquite Creek Wind farm is expected to start commercial operations in the second quarter of 2015, and will generate all of the power needed for Mars' US operations at 70 sites, including 37 factories. It will comprise 118x1.7MW GE turbines.
Sumitomo and Mars have reached contractual arrangements that allow Mars to receive all the renewable energy certificates from Mesquite Creek, offsetting the energy use for Mars' entire US facilities.
The wind farm represents the biggest long-term commitment to renewable energy use of any food manufacturing business in the United States, Mars claims.
The project takes Mars 'a big step towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral in our operations' says Barry Parkin, chief sustainability officer at Mars, Inc. The company is aiming to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and in the shorter term has committed to reduce fossil fuel energy and greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2015, using 2007 as its baseline year. The Mesquite Creek wind farm will enable Mars to meet this 2015 goal.
Development of Mesquite Creek Wind began in 2008 by Sumitomo and BNB Renewable Energy, and Blattner Energy Inc is responsible for construction. Turbine delivery is expected to begin at 'at the end of the summer'.
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