IKEA Grabs New Wind Energy Project In Poland, Operations To Be “Energy Independent” In Poland By End Of 2015
The IKEA Group is continuing to make progress on its path to receiving 100% of its energy needs via renewable energy sources by the year 2020, as the recent announcement that it had acquired a new wind energy project in Poland demonstrates.
The specifics of the deal haven’t been publicly revealed, but the newly acquired project is apparently in/near the village of Wroblew. The firm has already committed to acquire two more wind farms in the cities of Gizalki and Lubartow as well — which will, according to the company, make it “energy independent” by the end of the year.
Energy independent in this case doesn’t actually mean that it doesn’t receive electricity from the grid, simply that it produces more electricity than is used by its operations.
A recent press statement concerning the acquisition read: “Poland now joins IKEA Group operations in Sweden and the USA as being on-track for energy independence. This is part of the IKEA Group goal to become energy independent globally by 2020.”
With the new investments, IKEA is set to own 6 wind projects in Poland by the end of the year — altogether producing roughly ~473 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity a year.
A spokesperson for IKEA commented: “The three new wind farms will produce an estimated annual total of 339 GWh of energy. In 2011 IKEA bought three wind farms in Podkarpacie region (in Rymanów, Bukowsko and Leki Dukielskie), which produce a total of approximately 134 GWh of energy annually.”
When taken altogether that’s enough energy to provide for the needs of roughly 225,000 homes in Poland.
The wind projects will reportedly be backed up by biomass boilers at the company’s factories in the country — providing for intermittency.
“We want to have a positive impact on the planet and sustainability is an integral part of our business strategy,” stated Evelyn Higler, chief executive of IKEA Retail Poland, in the recent press statement. “Our new wind farm investments will make IKEA Group energy independent in Poland, meaning we produce as much renewable energy as all the energy we use in our stores, shopping centres, factories, distribution centres and offices in the country.”
The company now owns and operates 314 wind turbines around the world, as well as ~700,000 solar panels — pretty substantial numbers considering the shift to renewables began somewhat recently.
Image Credit: IKEA Group
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