Progress on the Path to Net-Zero: Leveraging Solar Power in Girona, Spain

The installation of the solar panels on the roofs and facades of Rousselot Girona was completed this spring. Tapping into the region’s humid, subtropical climate – with mild winters and hot summers, during which maximum temperatures typically range from 27 to 37 °C – the new panels represent one more way in which we can reduce emissions. In ideal sunlight conditions, the new installation will be able to produce up to approximately 26% of energy needed to run the plant. This approach is aligned with our parent company Darling Ingredients’ goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Public authorities in Spain are strongly encouraging the use of renewable energy for industrial, commercial and household purposes. Today, renewable energy sources account for 42% of the energy mix in Spain⁽¹⁾, and the Spanish government aims for 74% of renewable energy generation by 2030 and 100 % by 2050⁽²⁾. Girona is located in the sunny Spanish region of Catalonia, and Rousselot has been exploring ways to tap into this unique potential for several years.

According to a calculation established by the Spanish government’s ‘Guide for the calculation of carbon footprint and the development of an organizational improvement plan’ (‘Guía para el cálculo de la huella de carbono y para la elaboración de un plan de mejora de la organización’), the installation of the solar panels will enable Rousselot to reduce its GHG emissions by 208 tons per year, which is the  the equivalent of 70 round-trip flights between New-York and Paris.

⁽¹⁾ Statistica 2023

⁽²⁾ Source: iamrenew - www.saurenergy.com/solar-energy-news/spain-renewable-energy-target-74-2030