Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages Company has unveiled a 1.8-megawatt solar plant to power its production facility in the United Arab Emirates, and the move will have consumers opening their happiness without a side of guilt.
As detailed by SolarQuarter, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia teamed up with energy solutions company Emerge — a venture from the UAE's Masdar and France's EDF Group — to keep production at the Al Ain plant operating smoothly while transitioning to renewable power.
The solar facility could eliminate more than 1,700 tons of carbon pollution annually, reducing oil consumption by around 3,600 barrels each year.
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Energy independence ⚡ As the burning of dirty fuels is the primary human activity driving global temperatures higher, leading to more intense extreme weather threatening global food security, the solar facility aligns with UAE's Green Agenda 2030. This economically competitive plan intends to boost the country's GDP by 4 to 5% while improving quality of life and protecting natural resources.
"We started running solar energy [at the] plant last year in 2024, and as of now at Stage 1, it covers 18% of total energy consumed by the plant," Coca-Cola Al Ahlia VP of Supply Chain Lola Kurbanova said in a video for Gulf Coca-Cola Beverages, adding that Stage 2 will boost clean-energy production by another 5% and later possibly another 7%.
While Coca-Cola has come under scrutiny for some of its business practices, including its use of artificial intelligence — which requires massive amounts of energy and can take jobs away from creative workers — it has also received praise for other initiatives, like its plan to reduce plastic waste in Asia. In the UAE, the adoption of solar is a win on multiple levels.
"This is a great example of how innovative clean-energy solutions can drive both environmental and business outcomes," said Emerge General Manager Michel Abi Saab, pointing to how solar is a low-cost form of energy that reduces electricity costs.
The Al Ain plant distributes Coca-Cola to the seven emirates of the UAE, Oman, and other Gulf countries, according to the Al Ahlia Group. Coca-Cola Al Ahlia CEO Banu Karakullukcu Cetin suggested solar initiatives could be coming to other facilities soon.
"We are eager to initiate similar projects at our different facilities in the region," she said in a statement for Gulf Coca-Cola Beverages.
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