Grupo Bimbo inaugurates the largest independent solar roof system in Chile and South America

Mexican multinational bakery product manufacturing company Grupo Bimbo,  announced the inauguration of a self-sufficient solar roof built on  top of the warehouse of its company IDEAL, S.A. in Chile, which is the largest of its kind in both Chile and South America.

The system will  generate approximately 3 gigawatt hours per year and it will mitigate 1,310 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere during this period, which is equivalent to planting over 88,870 trees.

This development is part of a series of energy/environmental initiatives through which the company aims to contribute to the reduction of emissions, which will result in significant benefits for communities in the countries in which we are present.

The project is part of the initiatives that IDEAL S.A. is developing in the South American nation, in keeping with the RE100 agreement signed by Grupo Bimbo in 2018, making it the first Latin American company to do so. This global and collaborative initiative brings together the world’s largest companies to take on the commitment of using 100% clean electricity in their operations by 2025.

The inaugural event was attended by the Minister of Energy, Juan Carlos Jobet; Minister of the Environment, Carolina Schmidt; Francisco Javier Olavarría Patiño, the Ambassador of Mexico in Chile; Rafael Pamias, Senior Executive Vice President of Grupo Bimbo; Enrique Martínez, General Manager of IDEAL S.A.; Julian Willenbrock, Co-Founder and CEO of Enlight, the company that designed and implemented the solar project; as well as other officials.

For Rafael Pamias, Senior Executive Vice President of Grupo Bimbo, this inauguration is a tangible example of how companies can deliver concrete solutions and generate sustainable value in the places where they operate:

“We are convinced that Chile is the right country to continue growing sustainably, which we hope will be replicated by other companies, not only in the region but throughout the world.”

Enrique Martínez, General Manager of IDEAL S.A. said:

“We are very proud of this huge step, and we have no doubt that sustainability is the path to follow in order to positively impact the lives of our employees, our society and the planet.”

This independent solar project is one in a series of energy/environmental initiatives that the company has implemented in the country, including the use of LED lighting; a decrease in the consumption of electric, natural gas and water power; the recycling of paper and cardboard; as well as a decrease in the use of plastic. Thanks to this initiative, IDEAL S.A. was able to reduce CO2 emissions by 317,000 kilograms and save over 13,000 cubic meters of water in 2018.

Julian Willenbrock, co-founder and CEO of Enlight, commented:

“We are very excited about this collaboration with Grupo Bimbo. The plant in Chile will have the single largest rooftop surface in the country, with 6,500 photovoltaic panels, 57 investors, 150 meters of carports and a charging station for electric vehicles. With this alliance, we are demonstrating that renewable energies are an economic and environmental solution, both for industry and for Latin American society.”

To date, Grupo Bimbo has focused its efforts globally on four lines of environmental action that include a decrease in its carbon and water footprints, waste management and natural capital.

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Source: Press Release by Grupo Bimbo. Photo Credit: © Grupo Bimbo.