Edison Next achieves annual energy savings of up to 22% at Plastipak’s new facility in Toledo

Edison Next, an energy services company and subsidiary of the French giant EDF in Spain, has contributed to economic savings of up to 22% during the first year of operation of the rooftop photovoltaic project at the new facility of Plastipak, a global leader in the packaging and packaging recycling industries. The installation, which has an installed capacity of 1 MWp, is located on the roof of Plastipak’s bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Toledo, and is expected to achieve total accumulated savings of over 2 million euros over 30 years. Currently, it has more than 1,800 built photovoltaic modules that generate over 1,277 MWh of clean energy per year. This produced energy is equivalent to planting more than 1,395 trees and prevents the emission of over 422 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. With innovation as the cornerstone of this project, Edison Next provides a management system that monitors both the energy generated and consumed at the plant thanks to intelligent control of the installation and efficiency indicators. This ensures the proper functioning of the installation, as well as continuous improvement that translates into reduced energy consumption from day one. All of this is particularly relevant within the PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) model, as the energy produced and the performance of this asset must be maximized. “The development of this photovoltaic plant on the roof of Plastipak’s recycling plant has been a complete success. Thanks to comprehensive maintenance and the use of one of the best monitoring systems on the market, we maximize performance. To do this, we have a system based on a web application that centralizes information and offers a real-time view of the company’s electricity production and energy consumption. With the implementation of this cutting-edge system, Plastipak will achieve economic savings of over 2 million euros within 30 years. A significant value that highlights the importance of this type of project,” says Giulia Realmonte, Head of CAEs & e-Mobility at Edison Next.  However, according to Edison Next, in addition to energy and economic savings, the development of this project has important benefits related to sustainability and the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, as well as an increase in property value. Additionally, Plastipak has entrusted the energy specialist with the management of Energy Savings Certificates for its projects, starting with the replacement of refrigeration equipment at its plant in Casarrubios del Monte (Toledo). As it is a continuous 24/7 process, the action entails energy savings of approximately 1 GWh of electrical energy per year. Following the project’s launch, these savings have been certified and Energy Savings Certificates have been requested, generating an additional economic benefit equivalent to 30% of the initial investment. As the Delegate Subject, Edison Next has managed all phases of the process to generate and monetize the CAEs, simplifying administrative management, confirming the potential of this mechanism, and leading the commitment to energy efficiency in the industrial sector. With all this, Plastipak reaffirms its commitment to corporate social responsibility and bets on a sustainable model to follow in the industrial field in environmental, social, and governance matters. Founded in 1967, the company offers rigid plastic packaging solutions with a firm commitment to reducing its environmental impact. Currently, it has more than 40 facilities located in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. “As part of our long-term energy management and sustainability strategy, at Plastipak we aim to implement on-site renewable energy generation when we need it. In this regard, we have already achieved 100% use of energy from renewable sources in all our plants in Europe. Therefore, this latest project represents an important milestone on the path to making Plastipak an undisputed leader for the transition of the current energy model. However, it is essential to have partners that allow us to meet the commitments set in terms of sustainability,” concludes Mr. Antonio De Molina, Technical Director of Plastipak in Spain.