Henkel invests in solar power with IGNIS

Henkel has signed a ten-year agreement with Spanish renewable energy group IGNIS to build two new power plants in Spain. 

The Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) is part of Henkel's commitment to meet 100% renewable electricity in its global production sites by 2030.

Located in Castilla y León and Andalucía, the plants will be connected to the grid in summer 2024.

Henkel’s portion of the electricity produced will equal the demand of over 40 production sites across Europe.

The solar energy plants will avoid 72,000 tons of CO2-emissions each year, compared to electricity generated from fossil resources. They will also have an overall production volume of around 220,000 MWh per year.

Ulrike Sapiro, Chief Sustainability Officer at Henkel, said: “As we aim for climate-positive operations by 2030, projects like this VPPA are an important lever to increase the share of green energy available in the grid and to thereby accelerate the broader conversion from fossil to renewable energy.

"This VPPA is the most impactful multi-year renewable energy contract for Henkel in Europe. We appreciate our cooperation with IGNIS and look forward to breaking ground on this fantastic project."

The news coincides with Henkel's decision to join the ‘Commit For Our Planet’ initiative, which aims to provide tools and guidelines to support the delivery of sustainability commitments.

The initiative seeks to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint across the value chain in Europe through joint-effort and action. Using a tiered approach, the sector is brought together to amplify efforts, measure impact and collectively address environmental challenges.