A Gloucestershire factory that makes drinks for Ribena and Lucozade is planning to spend £6m on reducing carbon emissions. Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I has submitted a planning application for the project at its Coleford plant that it says will reduce reliance on natural gas.
Under the proposals, the company is aiming to become completely independent of its current gas turbine through a new electricity connection. If approved, the new model is expected to be up and running in 2026.
According to Suntory, the connection will increase the factory’s access to electricity purchased from renewable sources and will reduce external outages and power cuts.
Karl Ottomar, supply chain director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said: “This £6m investment represents a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint. Not only will it put us on track to achieve greater emissions reductions quicker, but it allows us to focus on even more sustainability projects and the future integration of renewable energy.”
In 2019, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I set near-term emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The company has committed to a 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 and is working to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 across its whole value chain.
The company said its Coleford project would be backed by an environmental impact assessment carried out by local authorities, with the aim of minimising any impact to the local environment or community.
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I was established in 2014 and is part of the Japan-based Suntory Group. In September, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I reported a seventh consecutive year of profit increase, alongside a continued post-pandemic sales rise.
The company posted a pre-tax profit of £109.1m for 2023, an increase from the previous year’s £100.7m, according to recently filed accounts with Companies House. In addition, the company’s turnover also experienced growth, rising from £517.5m to £542.9m in 2023 marking the third consecutive increase.