Coca-Cola HBC, the world's third-largest Coca-Cola bottling partner, is transitioning its operations in Ireland and Northern Ireland to a renewable energy source, Drinks Industry Ireland reported. The shift in the Lisburn, Northern Ireland, facility to biomethane, part of the company's Net Zero By 40 mission, will help lower global carbon pollution levels while bolstering an energy-independent future for the country.
The Lisburn production facility is the largest Coca-Cola HBC operating plant on the entire island. According to Supply Chain Digital, the facility handles more than 52 million cases of beverages by brands including Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Monster. As such, the facility's large operations require significant energy consumption, making the facility's shift to biomethane monumental.
Per Drinks Industry Ireland, by the year's end, Coca-Cola HBC expects to transition at least 25% of the facility's operations to biomethane, a renewable energy source derived from organic matter like manure. Anaerobic digestion, or the breakdown of organic materials without oxygen, produces biogas, which is purified to remove carbon dioxide, creating a carbon-neutral gas that compares to gas — biomethane.
With more than half of Ireland's land used for agriculture, biomethane is an opportunistic renewable energy source for the country that supports local farmers.
Biomethane can improve environmental challenges, including reducing nutrient runoff, which normally degrades water quality and affects aquatic life. By diverting organic waste from entering waterways and polluting landfills, biomethane creates a circular economy with this waste, turning it into a valuable energy resource that makes Ireland more energy-independent.
Coca-Cola HBC's shift to biomethane in one of its largest production facilities in Ireland is a big step forward toward a cleaner and cooler future.
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In a similar fashion, a Philadelphia Coca-Cola bottling company made an executive decision to ditch the six-pack plastic rings notorious for harming marine life.
Despite these valiant efforts, Coca-Cola still has a long way to go to shed its title as one of the worst plastic polluters globally.
"The introduction of biomethane at our production facility in Lisburn ... is an exciting venture that reflects our commitment to innovation and setting a new benchmark for the industry," said Simon Fitzpatrick, general manager at Coca-Cola HBC, per Drinks Industry Ireland.
"Businesses have an important role to play as we transition to a decarbonised, circular economy," said Andrew Muir, minister of agriculture, environment, and rural affairs in Northern Ireland, per Drinks Industry Ireland.
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